The last couple of weeks have been busy on the campaign trail and we are now at T-12 days until polling day. We’ve been out on the doorstep every day. So far, we’ve been to:
New Alresford
Swanmore
Central Winchester x6 different wards
Bishops Waltham
Littleton
Durley
Colden Common
Badger Farm
Otterbourne
Twyford
Highcliffe
West Meon
Corhampton
With many more to come over the next 12 days, I’m trying to reach as many of you as possible. If you see me out and about at any time, please feel free to stop and have a chat.
I am very cross about the betting story that has plagued the headlines in the last few days. Very poor judgement and inexcusable. It lets all of us down. I only found out there might be a General Election on 4th July when I heard that the cabinet was meeting the afternoon the PM announced it. I was convinced – or possibly hoped – he would call it for November as I had so much to do.
On the doorstep is is clear people do not want a Labour government, particularly with a huge majority. I spoke to a man on Thursday who told me that whoever wins the election, it’s really important to have a strong base of Conservative MPs to hold any government to account. What people do not want is for Labour to waltz into office for five years with no serious opposition.
Another issue with the Labour manifesto I heard many times over the last couple of weeks is the 20% VAT on private school fees in Labour’s first budget. If 30% of parents choose not to accept the massive price hike in private schools, the state sector will suffer with all the extra children in our local schools. For someone whose personal and political life has been so involved in education, this is hugely worrying. I am especially worried about the smaller private schools, especially those that cater for special needs. Many are run on a tight financial budget, and most of the money goes into teachers’ salaries.
I have found it increasingly irritating the Lib Dems - or Fib Dems might be more accurate- continue to state that I voted to put sewage in the water. As the FT reported last week, it is as if I collect constituents’ poo and put it into our lovely chalk streams.
Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Since 2919 we are:
⁃ Requiring water companies to invest £56 billion into environmental improvements as part of our plan to stop discharges.
⁃ Ensuring 100 per cent of overflows are now monitored (it was around 7% in 2010)
⁃ Banning bonuses for bosses of water companies that have committed criminal breaches.
⁃ Introducing unlimited penalties for environmental breaches and giving regulators more powers to fine water companies
Their criticism is even more hypocritical when you consider that it was a Liberal Democrat Water Minister who changed the law to remove ‘unnecessary’ requirements to ‘register, keep records of maintenance and notify when a [sewage] discharge ceases’. They also consistently opposed increasing regulation when they were in Government.
Finally, I thought the PM was very good on this week’s leadership Question Time. If anyone watched it all the way through (it was a very long programme), let me know how you think the leaders performed. I only managed to get back from campaigning in time to watch the last 20 minutes of the PM.
As usual, I am out all weekend and there is my first hustings at Waltham Chase Methodist Church on Sunday evening.
Have a great weekend.
