A Sad Day For Politics

Last night I stayed up rather too late waiting for the North West results. Waiting and hoping that the BNP wouldn’t take a seat in the European Parliament.  I’d already seen them take one in Yorkshire, and this was disturbing enough!

I feel it’s a sad day today as we all must take in the prospect of what two seats in the European Parliament gives this racist outfit who call themselves a legitimate political party.   Not only does it give them a platform from which to legitimately campaign from, it gives them the financial recourses to do so.

There are a lot of things I find unforgivable about this Labour Government, and this is one of them.  We can’t blame everything on MPs expenses, although I’m sure it has to take some of the blame.   This problems that the BNP are focusing on have been unaddressed for years.  Lack of border controls, uncontrolled immigration, over stretched public services, access to our services and benefit system to all and sundry, all unaddressed after years of a Labour Government.   Michael Howard to his credit had the audacity to bring this up in the 2005 General Election campaign, I remember only too well as one of his candidates, and he was labelled a racist.

Labour have a created a ridiculous politically correct environment, and I have thought for a long time we were heading for an unhealthy right wing back lash, and here it comes!   Last nights results should also give an insight to what proportional representation would mean for our system – a disaster!  

As a Conservative I couldn’t be happier, we increased our share of the vote after a difficult period for all the main parties in the back drop of the MPs expenses scandal.   I hope now that we can move on and clean up the system and get on with the real job of bringing our wonderful country back into some sort of shape.    The Conservatives won in Bolton last night and I’m determined that we will win in Bolton at the General Election – whenever Mr Brown has the decency to allow the British public the choice they deserve.

Leighs Paints, Bolton

Left to right Gordon Bell, myself, John Capstick and Denis Garner

Yesterday I visited Leigh Paints in Kestor Street to meet with the Chairman Brian Leigh-Bramwell, Managing Director, Dick Frost and Technical Director, Gordon Bell.      Leigh Paints is a family run concern and really looks after its employeees, in fact adopting the Conservative ethos of ‘Bottom Up’ rather than ‘Top Down’ management.

The company employs 260 staff and is a paint manufacturer.  As well as normal coatings it specialises in fire retardent coatings holding 60/70% of the UK market.   One of the most well known structures covered with Leigh Paints would be the Forth Bridge in Scotland.

One of the  many issues we discussed was the apparent disparity in rules and regulations across the EU which disadvantages british companies from competing in the European Union.   Leigh Paints is also a leader in its field when it comes to research and development, however like many companies it needs help with some form of tax relief to allow this research to continue.   Instead of help all it seems to get is more regulation!

I have pledged that if elected I will do all I can to help their business, as well as many other businesses in Bolton.

Sure Start – The Facts

Will ‘New Labour’ ever learn?   Clearly not, in desperation Gordon Brown’s candidate here in Bolton North East appears determined to smear the conservatives by portraying us as a threat to the Sure Start programme causing unecessary worry to many families.    In fact he couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Conservative Party is totally committed to Sure Start.    It is a fact that we want to employ an extra 4,200 trained health visitors into the service to support families who need the service.

Figures from a recent report,  published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families,  show that one in three families need more support, particularly with developmental checks, nutrition and vaccination advice.     The report makes it clear that families living in the most disadvantaged areas are still not getting the level of early year’s support they desperately need, that is why the Conservatives will introduce a universal health visitor service to provide  exactly the support families say they are not getting.

It really is time for change……………………..