Job Clubs & Youth Groups

This morning I was at the Grosvenor Hotel at Stockbridge and sat in on the Test Valley partnership education & learning meeting. I was there to discuss and to help bring forward the setting up of two jobs clubs serving the boroughs residents as a result of the responding to the recession conference in which I raised the idea. Things are taking shape and with the help of a lot of people and organisations who have put in an awful lot of work - we are looking to go live in September. watch this space for more information.

After the meeting I shot back down the Valley to Andover to drop in on the Askalot community shop in King Arthurs Way. It was full of young teenagers using the computers, and the staff there are doing a wonderful job. After that it was down to Roman Way - to visit a resident who has been asking me about some sort of further community provision on Roman Way - which I am also working on. Again that will be updated here.

Cantari & Carnival

It was once again a busy weekend, Councillors Surgery on Saturday morning, where I spoke to many people and helped them out with issues that they raised. Remember if you wish to visit Councillors surgery we are in the Guildhall the 1st and 3rd Saturday in the month and in the Rendezvous every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month. It starts at 10am and goes on to midday.

On Sunday I went to the Winton Conservative Branch fundraising event - and enjoyed an afternoon of cantari singing. The Cantari singers were fantastic and did a good job battling the wind, rain and sirens to deliver a great performance. After a quick chat with every one over a scone and a cup of tea - I hot footed it into town with the Deputy Mayor to watch the carnival procession come into Vigo Park. The carnival was great this year and there was a real party atmosphere. One of the highlights had to be 'Thats Centretainment' winner Jamie Walsh - singing on stage, she was excellent. After chatting to the stall holders it was over to the beer tent for a swift half and to shelter from the inclement weather, before heading home.

The carnival parades into Vigo Park

Cut the Quangos

Last week - whilst I was once again on my soap box arguing that Quangos should be cut down and accountability returned to politicians - somebody asked me what a Quango was. No just what it stood for - it may be hard to remember that the acronym stands for Quasi Autonomous Non Governmental Organisation, but what they actually where. It is surprising that in a day when Quangos have so much of an effect on peoples lives they don't know what they are.

Today David Cameron will lay out his plans to cut down on Quangos - to return the Policy making function to politicians - not unelected bureaucrats.

Here is what he says;
http://www.conservatives.com/News/News_stories/2009/07/Cameron_announces_plans_to_reform_quangos.aspx

How can we make Local Governmnet more accountable?

I have a letter published in the Andover Advertiser today about making local Government more democratic and accountable. Here it is;

Dear Sir,

It was great to see in a recent edition of the Andover Advertiser the ideas of Conservative politicians Daniel Hannan MEP and Douglas Carswell MP were being talked about. In their book the Plan; twelve months to renew Britain they set out a whole range of reforms to make sure Parliament is more accountable not just a creature of the executive – they promote the shifting of power from the state to subjects; from the government to parliament; from Whitehall to communities; from the EU to Britain and one of the most important, from Central Government to Local Government.

In this very newspaper we saw a bit about their campaign for more effective Local Government. At the moment and thanks to a decade and a bit of Labour, Local Government is on its knees. They have transferred power to unelected & unaccountable regional agencies; they have transferred power to the quangos. Much of what local government does – not by any means all - is to have to take a lead and listen to these unelected bureaucracies in which government has entrusted its power. The result of this is a decision making process that isn’t local – and all local politicians say is “we had to do this we had no choice – it has been forced on us by government”. In this scenario no-one is accountable and we wonder why there is little turnout in Local elections. I am sure local politicians of all parties and none would support a more democratic outlook. Carswell & Hannan are proposing we change this and I for one support their ideas, to; Abolish regional development agencies, regional government offices and transfer power to local councils; scrap the department of communities and local government and pass its powers to local authorities; grant English Counties and Cities responsible for all areas of policy which under the 1998 Scotland Act are devolved to the Holyrood Parliament – thus solving the West Lothian Question.

You may think I am supporting this because I am a Local Councillor and I want more power – nothing can be further from the truth. I want Local Government to be more responsible, more accountable, if the electorate believes that a particular governing party (whoever they may be) are not doing a very good job – then they can throw them out at the ballot box – because ultimately with increased powers that authority would be responsible.

Cllr Phil North

Alamein Ward

Yes Vote in Town Council Referendum

The results of the Community Governance Review (referendum) were declared today, in which Test Valley Borough Council asked the people of Andover whether or not they wanted an Andover Town Council. Andover is currently the only un-parished area in Test Valley. Test Valley Borough Council were required to carry out the CGR (referendum), after receiving a petition of over 10% of Andover's electorate who said they supported the idea of a Town Council.

My view all along and I have voiced it on a number of occasions is that I am not convinced that Andover needs a Town Council. It has its benefits, it would inevitably create some civic pride, it could make comment on planning applications, it could raise funds and provide some local services however it would create an extra level of politicians, may cost more and have a limited say on major issues. While my own personal view is not a strong yes it also not a strong no - and I said if the people of Andover wanted a Town Council then I would be prepared to support one.

Today we have seen that 61.2% of the people that responded to the referendum support the setting up of a town council compared to 38.8% who have said no. I am of course disappointed that turnout was only just over 15% - but that tells me that 85% aren't concerned either way or they would have taken the time to reply. Therefore I am prepared to accept that it is the will of the Andover people to set up a Town Council and will be voting that way when it goes through to full council.

50K re-furb for King Arthurs Hall and Atholl Court Area

At a meeting of Test Valley Borough Council's full Council on Monday I asked the Housing Portfolio holder Cllr Sandra Hawke about a capital grant to be spent improving the Atholl Court shop area in King Arthur’s way as part of the Turnaround project. The Turnaround project has been a great success and I very much welcome this cash injection of 50k to improve the area. I asked her, what was being done? What consultation had taken place? And when the work was due to start?

This was her response;

"This money is allocated for repair and refurbishment of King Arthurs Hall, and the enhancement of the area around Atholl Court shops. These properties are owned by TVBC, and since the start of the Turnaround Project, and subsequent formation of the Community Association, the Hall and the successful Askalot shop are increasingly used as expanding community facilities for the Alamein ward.

Informal consultations were held with the Community Association and local people using both the Hall and the shops, to ask what they saw as most needed, and as a result the upgrade will include new windows, with shutters, the main entrance, upgrade of toilets, external lighting and general improvement to the outside areas. The first phase of the upgrade will begin as soon as the plans and costings are completed”.

When the plans are completed I will update you on when the work is due to start and the exact details of what is proposed.

Armed Forces Day & Alamein Branch Fundraiser

It was a very busy day yesterday - I started off the day visiting the display stands and chatting to people in Vigo Park for Armed Forces Day. Armed Forces Day was launched by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, some say one of the only successful things he has done for this country. Anyway I digress the intention is that Armed Forces Day, which focuses on our surviving veterans, will complement commemorative events and become as familiar and respected as Remembrance Sunday which, quite properly, remembers and honours those who died serving their country. At 10.30 on Sunday morning Vigo Park was packed with people enjoying the sunshine, looking at Army Vehicles, speaking to Veterans & learning about some of the support organisations.

It was then a quick hop over to Enham to enjoy our Alamein Conservative Branch Pimms event. We also opened this up as a thank you to all those who helped in the recent Andover North election. After speaking to residents about local issues and having a quick bite to eat - I then hot footed it back to Vigo Park for the open air church service. Where the Veterans and the public joined in with Hymns such as 'I vow to thee my Country' & 'Jerusalem'. They then paraded back through the town.

All in all it was a busy but hugely enjoyable day.

The Red Devils Parachute in

Speakership Election

Sorry I haven't updated the blog in the last few days - I have been away the early part of this week, but I just wanted to make a quick comment on the events of Monday evening in the House; the election of a new speaker.

Of course I was supporting Sir George Young - and I think he would have made a great speaker, so you may feel I am being a little biased - but the events in the Palace of Westminster never cease to amaze. Parliament has just faced some of the toughest weeks in its history in terms of public confidence in politics and politicians, and still hasn't come out of that crisis. The expenses scandal was a complete gamechanger in terms of the Local elections and European Elections earlier this month. MP's disposed with the last speaker to make a clean break to try and increase confidence again - but what did they go and do - yes vote for a divisive character. John Bercow is loathed by a majority of Conservative MP's and almost crossed the floor to the Labour Party, so when he put up for speaker, Labour MP's saw this as a way of getting at the Conservatives in revenge for leading the coup to get rid of Speaker Martin.

A Speaker should command respect across all sides of the house and it is clear by the way many Conservative MP's refused to clap his election and the subsequent plottings to try and set out a way to get rid of him after the next election, that this is not the case. Parliament had an opportunity to try and drag itself out of the mire - but I feel they missed that opportunity. We will wait and see what happens next.

Campaigning in Gosport

After a hard days work - I went down to Gosport this evening to do some canvassing. They are fighting a by-election at the moment after the two sitting Lib Dem Councillors (husband &wife), resigned their seats and emmigrated to Australia. Justin Henshaw & Brian Taylor are standing for the Consevatives in the Brockhurst ward, election day is July 9th.

I met up with hard working Constituency Chairman - Alan Scard, and two others and we canvassed for a good couple of hours. We were very well recieved and spoke to many Conservative Supporters. Considering this is Sir Peter Viggers current constituency (the MP that submitted a claim for a Duck House), the expenses issue wasn't that prevalent on the doorstep - although of course some people did bring it up. People are starting to again be more interested in which local councillor is going to get a pothole fixed, a grass verge cut back or their sign repaired. I am sure the Conservative Candidates will make great local Councillors for Brockhurst.

Another One Bites the Dust

We have heard tonight that the expenses crisis has claimed the ministerial and parliamentary career of yet another MP. Kitty Ussher has tonight resigned from the Government and says she will step down at the next general election, after allegations she flipped her home to avoid capital gains tax. The story will run in tomorrow mornings telegraph.

The extraordinary thing about this resignation though is that she was a minister in the Exchequer. A minister responsible for tax - has been caught out avoiding just that; paying tax.

Ex- Exchequer Minister Kitty
Ussher