Well it seems Gordon Brown is to finally call an election. Any hopes of a clean fight from my opponent have long since disappeared. I’m sure the lies will continue, first of all they were just about the Conservatives now they are personal.

I’ve asked my friends and family that if I ever start to behave in such a manner will they please tell me to just pack it all in.

I sense a great longing for change from the british public, and I know from the bottom of my heart that David Cameron and the modern Conservatives are offering this and I’m incredibly proud to have an opportunity to play a part in this. I’m also very proud to be amongst so many other females…none who have been part of all women short lists, all chosen in their own right. I’m also incredibly proud to be amongst some wonderful male candidates and I wish them all luck male, female, black, white, gay. None of this matters – all there in their own right!

Good luck to all my fellow Conservative Candidates. The picture IS one for the girls from todays Sun Newspaper of me and some of the other candidates.

From The Sun today

Todays Budget is insincere and a waste of time. It will never be implemented. If the Conservatives are succesful in May then they will hold an emergency budget. If a failing Labour Government were unwisely propped up by the Lib Dems then they would have to revisitt he Budget as any measures needed to tackle our financial woes wont be addressed today.

Todays Budget will be about politics I’m afraid. The Chancellor’s growth forecasts are far too optimistic and again they are for political reasons. The higher they are the more money Gordon Brown and Darling can pretend they have to play with. The sad truth is it’s monopoly money.

The IFS (Institute of Fiscal Studies) as pointed out if the growth forecast are too optimistic and interest rates rise (which undoubtedly they will have to at some time) at the same time, then it could mean that the country is unable to service it’s debts. The General Election can’t come soon enough!

Yesterday in PMQs Gordon Brown finally admitted what we all knew….the defence budget had been cut for several years in real terms.

I feel this is a real betrayal to our service men and women. My own personal view is that I never supported the decision to go to war. I’m anti-war generally and would always prefer the peaceful option if at all possible.

What I find really hard to ever accept is the needless deaths of our soldiers through inadequate equipment, which is exactly what is happened with the use of snatch landrovers.

Our Prime Minister still didn’t apologise, I wonder if it’s in his make up to ever admit and apologise for a mistake. He needs to consider doing so to all the families affected by this dreadful war.

I had a lovely day yesterday, it was an unusual and welcome day off which I spent with my family.

My wonderful daughters Isabella and Scarlett gave me lovely card and a really beautiful bracelet which Dad had helped them choose. The usual late phone call from elder brother Olly from University came after tea.

Mark cooked tea, I can’t really claim this was unusual as I have to say that Mark does nearly all of the cooking. I do however usually do Sunday Dinner each week, but this week I put my feet up with a glass of wine and had it served to me…..and it was beautiful, I must say.

Also a big thank you to Zahid my number 2 son – well not really but he calls me his second Mum and he is a treasure helping me in my campaign. He sent me a lovely message wishing me Happy Mothers Day, so thank you Zahid x

Who am I calling a hypocrite and a liar? Well there are plenty I can think of you know………..I always knew I was facing a dirty fight with Labour both nationally and locally so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I’m not surprised but I have to say I am immensely disappointed at the behaviour of my Labour opponent David Crausby and the obvious national dirty Labour campaign.

It seems now that most days my post bag contains something from a Labour activist or David Crausby himself. Personally I think they have too much time on their hands, I’m far too busy with my own positive campaign and working on my case work for constituents, pity they aren’t doing the same!

I’ve had a few such letters this week including one from David Crausby, apparently he disagrees with political parties who take  money from Non Doms, he thinks it’s a disgrace! Is Mr Crausby hypocritical or ill-informed. Is he unaware that the Labour Party have received MORE money from Non Doms than the Conservatives? Does he think that it’s ok for Labour but shouldn’t be allowed for the Conservatives? There he was on The Politics Show this morning stood outside Westminster stating that Political Parties should not be allowed to receive donations from people who don’t pay tax on earnings outside the UK – clearly referring to Michael Ashcroft. What about Lord Paul Mr Crausby? The Conservatives have said they will change the law to stop this – have Labour? No they are too busy being hypocritical.

I also received this week an anonymous letter from someone claiming to have worked in Mr Crausby’s office, he wrote to tell me I was a liar and a fraud and apparently not a Boltonian. Well I must say Mr or Mrs Anonymous that you have upset my Mum! Just for the record I was born in the Royal Bolton Hospital, went to school in Harwood, Bolton, then to Mount St Josephs , Bolton and have always and still currently do live in Bolton. I’m also tiring of the emails from Labour activists trying to ‘trip’ me up with leading Qs…..I wont be answering – so don’t waste your time writing. I’m too busy with my positive campaign offering the people of Bolton North East change.

We need  a fresh start in Bolton and the country. I’m out everyday knocking on  doors in Bolton NE and that’s certainly what I’m hearing.  Another bad day for Parliament in todays press. I say this as I sit at home reading todays Times before leaving for a days campaigning.

It’s now 3 1/2 years since I was selected in an open primary by the people of Bolton NE, to fight the seat for the Conservatives, little did I know what lay ahead or how long the road would be. There are all sorts of criticisms in today’s papers for MPs of all party’s, which is why I believe that the only way forward will be after a GE.

I’m not going to dwell on my opponents expenses, but I do feel the need to express my disappointment that David Crausby, the current Labour MP for Bolton NE, felt it  necessary to do his job as an MP, to have a new bathroom and kitchen in his London flat, paid for with borrowed money, and that he then felt it appropriate to claim the interest back from you and I – the taxpayer.

I reiterate my promise that if elected I will;

 1. Publish my expenses on line every month

2. Not employ family members

3.Will rent (not buy) a flat in Westminster, therefor not making a profit out of tax payers money.

The second article I came to made equally depressing news, the headline read ….Spending on quangos rises by £10bn despite Brown’s pledge…….

The article starts by saying

” Public spending on quangos has soared by nearly £10 billion in the past 2 years, the Cabinet Office revealed yesterday. Since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister the annual figure has increased by more than 25% from £37bn to £46.5bn despite largely coinciding with the worst recession since the 1930s…………….the figures will highly embarrassing to the government”

When I’m asked on the doorstep what the biggest difference will be with a Conservative government I reply…..competence!

For the last 6 quarters we have been in recession, the longest since records begun. Public borrowing stands at £178 billion ….scary! Last year our economy contracted by 4.8% the biggest fall in a year for 88 years.

Yesterday at an unprecidented announcement to the press (can’t help thinking the government thought it would be better news) we were told we were officially out of recession as in the final Q of 2009 the economy grew at 0.1%…fragile to say the least. This figure also had the benefit of the upturn in car sales and a VAT reduction.

It’s about time the government started to be honest with us, if they know the truth that is! All along they have been wrong, and it really does lie at Gb door, he was after all the chancellor in all the years he overspent whilst the economy was growing. Even now they tell us a different story to that of the leading economists.

Simon Hayes, the chief UK economist at Barclays Capital, was quoted in The Times today as saying the figures would reignite concerns over whether the budget deficit could be reduced as quickly as Mr darling hoped. He said ” Bringing the public debt situation under control is likely to be more painful than implied by the Treasury’s Pre-Budget Report forecasts, which assume that the economy’s trend rate of growth will remain at 2.75%. That seems very optimistic to us.”

Lets have the truth, give us some credit and stop playing politics with us all!

Just had a tour of the Warburtons Bread Factory with my special guest in Bolton Phillip Hammond MP Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

We were given the grand tour by their Executive Director Ross Warburton and General Manager Peter Haworth. Anyone who lives in Bolton will know that Warburtons bread is part of our history and we are all very proud of it. It was a fascinating insight into the journey of a loaf of bread, from the factory  to our dinner tables.

Pictured from left to right Peter Haworth, myself, Ross Warburton and Phillip Hammond MP.

At the Christmas Tree at Dunscar along with Bromley Cross Councillors Alan Wilkinson and David Greenhalgh.

Last night I attended the official switching on of the Christmas Tree lights at Dunscar, it was a festive occasion with the Mayor and Mayoress in attendance and ended with some lovely Christmas Carols. It was an excellent turnout and lovely to see so many children there on what was a chilly evening. 

I do love tradition, we should all do what we can to preserve some of the wonderful traditions we have. 

It’s that time of year where I attend lots of these things, especially with my children Isabella and Scarlett.  It was Scarlett’s Christmas Concert last week at school, and this Saturday both of my girls are in their Christmas show from their Stagecoach group so I will be off to enjoy that on Saturday afternoon.