Archive for the 'National Comment' Category

The Choice At The General Election

Published by Iain on February 28, 2010 in National Comment and Worsley & Eccles South. 1 Comment

Do You Have Friends Or Family Abroad?

Published by Iain on February 23, 2010 in National Comment and Worsley & Eccles South. 0 Comments

The Prime Minister will announce the date for the General Election in a few weeks. There are only a few weeks left for your friends, family or colleagues abroad to get on the electoral register.

Please forward this information to anyone you know living outside the UK who might want to help vote for a change of government in Britain.
 
Click on the link http://www.dontleaveyourvoteathome.com to complete the Electoral Commission’s registration form as well as forms to vote by proxy or by post.

All British citizens over 18 years of age who have lived abroad for less than 15 years are eligible to vote in the constituency where they were last registered. Those who do not qualify might want to try to register regardless, to make the point that they are disenfranchised.

Please encourage expat friends or family to appoint a proxy in the UK as this is the best way to ensure their vote is counted. Anyone already on the register in any constituency can act as proxy to vote in person in the same constituency or by post in another.

British expats need to be on the register by 31st March to be certain their vote can count. So don’t leave your vote at home, register today.

Labour’s “Telephone Tax” Condemned

Published by Iain on February 23, 2010 in National Comment. 0 Comments

I’m pleased that a cross-party group of MPs has condemned Labour’s proposals for a “telephone tax” on all landlines. This ludicrous proposal is extremely regressive and would hit hard-working local people on low incomes hardest.

The Labour Government wants to impose a new tax which will be levied on every fixed telephone line in all homes and businesses across Salford. Homes with multiple lines might pay multiple times. The tax would be levied on homes with and without broadband access.

By contrast, a Conservative Government would have a clear plan to roll-out superfast broadband across the country. We would:

  • Open up BT’s ‘local loop’ monopoly to other telecommunication operators, and review unfair business rate rules.
  • Investigate the use of sewers and other utility infrastructure to lay broadband cables.
  • Allow telegraph poles to be fitted with fibre optic cables, rather than old fashioned copper wire.
  • Ensure that all new homes are capable of receiving superfast broadband through a fibre to the home network.
  • Use money currently allocated to the digital TV national switchover to help establish a universal network.

What Do We Get From The “Association Of Nuclear-Free Authorities”?

Published by Iain on February 22, 2010 in Greater Manchester, National Comment and Salford. 10 Comments

There’s an interesting article over at David Ottewell’s blog – the University of Manchester is to benefit to the tune of over £4 million through the establishment of a nuclear research centre. It’s a clear example of how the regional economy can benefit from embracing new technology.

It reminded me that this financial year, Labour-run Salford City Council will waste £2332 of taxpayers’ money on affiliating to the Association of Nuclear Free Authorities. We get nothing back for this dreadful and misguided symbolism. It might only be a small amount in the grand scheme of things, but surely with budget efficiencies being made across the board, this affiliation fee should be one of the first things to go.

William Roache On Labour’s Death Tax

Published by Iain on February 19, 2010 in National Comment and Salford. 0 Comments

A Message From George Osborne

Published by Iain on February 2, 2010 in National Comment. 0 Comments

Today the Conservative Party has set out a new model of economic growth, a model very different from the one pursued by Gordon Brown. It sets out our plans for a private sector recovery driven by business investment and exports, instead of consumer borrowing and government debt.

For the first time ever, we are also setting out eight benchmarks – the Benchmarks for Britain – against which we are happy for the next Conservative Government to be judged. Achieving them over the next Parliament would mean we have put Britain back on her feet and are building a new British economic model, very different from the debt driven model of the past.

At the end of the Parliament, you will be able to use these benchmarks to hold your government to account over whether our economy is more stable, more balanced and more competitive.

We’ve set them out in detail on our website so you can see exactly what we’re proposing. Then, as you have already done with David on our NHS and education policies, you can ask me any question about our plans for economic growth.

You can also vote on any of the questions that have been submitted, so that next week I’ll be able to answer the most popular questions in a live webcast.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Meeting With David Cameron

Published by Iain on January 28, 2010 in National Comment and Salford. 0 Comments

I was very pleased to have the opportunity to meet with David Cameron down in Westminster last week.

David has always shown a great interest in Salford and has visited on a number of occasions since he became Leader of the Opposition.

I know that David’s commitment to local health services will be particularly welcomed by the people of Salford, and Conservative proposals for a “health premium” will see increased resources spent on the NHS here in Salford under a future Conservative Government.

It was great to have the opportunity to get across how valued the maternity unit at Salford Royal Hospital is to local residents across the City, and I hope that under Conservative plans to hand decision-making powers over the NHS back to local communities that we will be able to save the unit from Labour’s axe.

Making Our Neighbourhoods Safer

Published by Iain on January 24, 2010 in National Comment and Salford. 0 Comments

Between 1999 and 2009, “violence against the person” offences here in Salford rose by 44%. Labour have launched endless initiatives and top-down schemes which have made little difference. Their broken promises have undermined people’s trust. We can’t go on with the police filling in forms instead of fighting crime.

People also remain frustrated with our criminal justice system, and too many local residents feel that the justice system is not on their side.

I’m really pleased, therefore, to see the draft Conservative crime manifesto produce some concrete pledges that will really tackle these problems. A Conservative Government would:

  • Give Salford’s citizens greater protection if they have to defend themselves against intruders in their homes, or if they stop a crime being committed in the street.
  • Create fifteen new rape crisis centres across the country, and give all existing rape crisis centres stable, long-term funding.
  • Grant Salford City Council new powers to fight booze-fuelled antisocial behaviour in Salford, and stop supermarkets selling alcohol at below cost-price which is destroying law-abiding local pubs and fuelling low-level crime.
  • Replace the invisible and unaccountable Greater Manchester Police Authority, making the police properly accountable to a directly elected person who will set priorities for local policing.
  • Publish detailed street-by-street crime statistics online every month, in an open and standardised format, so people know the real level of crime in their neighbourhood.
  • Make it clear that anyone caught carrying a knife in a public place can expect to be prosecuted and sent to prison.

You can download the draft Crime Manifesto in full by clicking here.

Returning Planning Powers To Local Communities

Published by Iain on January 24, 2010 in National Comment and Worsley & Eccles South. 0 Comments

As I’ve outlined on this website, I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few months working with residents who are very concerned about the impact of proposals in the Labour Council’s “Core Strategy” – from residents in Walkden and Little Hulton concerned about plans to build on Burgess Farm and at Cutacre, communities in Roe Green, Worsley and Winton worried about motorway expansion, to local people in Irlam, Cadishead and Peel Green who are rightly appalled by Labour’s plans to bulldoze Barton Moss.

One of the main reasons that these proposals have seen the light of day is because the Government has imposed central planning targets on our local communities. Under Labour’s current plans, this will leave us with tens of thousands of empty tiny flats, and acres of green belt and green field sites destroyed.

A Conservative Government would abolish these unfeasible targets and return the power to decide how much development we need to local residents. Under a future Conservative Government, it would be up to our local communities to make these decisions – not Labour’s faceless bureaucrats in Whitehall.

Labour MPs Vote Themselves Big February Holiday

Published by Iain on January 21, 2010 in National Comment and Worsley & Eccles South. 0 Comments

With the economy still sluggish, many people across the country still really struggling with the ongoing recession and the nation burdened with huge debt, you would expect our Members of Parliament to be fully focused on their work.

Sadly, that isn’t the case for our Labour MPs, who instead of working hard through February have voted themselves ten days off. Conservative MPs opposed the decision.

Local residents and small businesses in Salford are working tirelessly to protect their jobs and their livelihoods, many working long hours for low pay. It must be particularly galling for them to see that our well-renumerated Labour MPs – including local MPs Hazel Blears and Barbara Keeley – voting themselves time off for the best part of two weeks. That’s a luxury that most residents can’t afford.

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