28th August 2007 Canvey and Benfleet Times article
Government at a local or national level is a difficult thing to get right: a strong economy, low unemployment, a good health service and a decent standard of life for all. All of this - and more - is expected. In addition to this, governments must have vision and carry out policy-making with flair and a style that captures the imagination of the people � and doesn�t cost too much in taxes.
Someone once said that life is what happens to you whilst you are making plans and the Labour Government has taken decisions that have required strength of character. No-one will agree with every decision made � unless they have been cloned from one of the Cabinet. Questioning these decisions � UK forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, investing so heavily in health and education etc � is a good thing and debate via the local editions of the Times newspapers is a vital part of a healthy democracy. Whatever decisions have been made, the Government has stuck to its guns � not through a dogmatic frame of mind, but because it has displayed constancy and good governance.
Steady and stable economic growth combined with prosperity have become the norm since 1997; so much so that they can sometimes be taken for granted. Those of us who are 30 year of age or more know about inconsistency of interest rates, boom and bust economics and unemployment see-sawing with the economic tide. True, some people made fortunes during this time but many more lost out � including having their houses repossessed. These times have not been banished for ever and any party that jumps from one direction and policy to another is going to be prone to fostering an environment that will leave us all uncertain about our financial futures.
We are an ageing population, with a larger proportion of us enjoying better health. Looking after the elderly has always been a priority for Labour. Record levels of investment in the NHS help ensure that fragile bodies are cared for. It has taken longer than I would like for the results to show, but improving an organisation that is one of the largest employers in the world has taken time. Yes, the medical professions have complained about the pace of change and number of changes, but all of this has been because of the passion within Government to provide a decent and high standard of care within the NHS. I for one was proud to see the every day use of beds in hospital corridors being stopped and I enjoy seeing the waiting lists for healthcare drop almost every time the statistics are published.
There is often bad news about our young people, whether it is binge drinking or hooliganism. However, let us not lose sight of the fact that our youngsters are working harder than ever and achieving better and better examination results. This year saw more records broken, and I for one salute them. I feel, though, that youth facilities in Castle Point are poor, and I will be pressing for improvements here. We must tackle anti-social behaviour, but we must also provide outlets for youthful energy. As a local football referee and league official I see regularly what a great contribution young people can make in sport, and also how useful sport is in rounding out and maturing young personalities. I fear that locally we could do more to help them.
A major way of helping young people is to make sure there is enough affordable housing for them. The simple truth is that there isn�t enough low-cost housing being built and councils in South East Essex seem to be beholden to property developers and accept unsuitable developments rather than insist upon the type of housing that will allow our children to remain in the area. They should be able to remain in the town of their birth to ensure Castle Point keeps that spark of vitality.
Carte blanche cannot be given to developers and our green spaces must be preserved. Local public transport and public roads are in real need of improvement. There are some real bottlenecks locally, and gridlock is an unfortunate but frequent rush-hour event. I want to see innovative solution to problems that have been with us for years, accepted by all to be a problem and yet there appears to be no intention by Castle Point to find a solution.
For me, the day after the general election in 1997 is a day I will remember for a very long time. Amongst the many historic results was Christine Butler's in Castle Point. This coincided with a high point for Labour on Castle Point council, truly, the good old days.
What would a Labour MP give Castle Point? For starters, every Labour MP elected is another guarantee of the remarkable economic climate that we enjoy. Every one with a job, a mortgage, or who shops has a vested interest in seeing wealth being created, interest rates staying at manageable levels, and inflation kept low.
A Labour voice in a Labour Government would mean that residents concerns would get a hearing right at the heart of government. My job is to celebrate the last ten years, remind voters of the real progress that has been made, and set out the Government's agenda for the future. I look forward to meeting as many voters as I can, and I promise to listen and act upon what I hear from the residents of Castle Point
19th August 2007 Castle Point council not dealing with long-term empty properties
It is somewhat incredible that Castle Point council have not seen fit to use powers given to them by the Labour Government and not formulating a policy for the proper use of empty and sometimes semi-derelict properties.
Residents are often upset with inappropriate development foisted upon them, while the shortage of housing is a real headache for those on low incomes.
A property in Central Avenue, Hadleigh, is a case in point. Apart from issues of neglect that arise from it being left empty, I think that Castle Point residents are entitled to ask why their green belt is being threatened when there is good evidence that at least some of this building may be unnecessary.
Developments usually obey the law of supply and demand. By allowing long term vacancies to occur, supply is suppressed thus encouraging demand resulting in escalating prices.
25th July 2007 The recent floods
Images of the devastation wrought by the recent floods in other parts of the country have shocked me, as indeed they have shocked us all.
It reminded me of the images I have seen of the great floods of 1953 that hit Eastern England . The causes were different, but the resultant destruction and loss of life has many parallels.
The instability of our weather in the years to come, brought about by climate change, is something that most people believe as inevitable. The ruining of lives this will bring out is now being glimpsed. Although wholesale flooding is something that individually we can do little about, we all have our part to play in slowing down and even sending into reverse climate change.
Much of Essex is low lying, especially Canvey Island and parts of Benfleet . These are especially vulnerable to any rise in sea levels. But areas in the apparent safety of higher ground will also be affected. This year has seen an unseasonably warm April, followed by a couple of months of near drought, and now a very wet start to our summer. It is not just barbecues that have to be cancelled; some crops have failed. Another by-product, ironically, will be holidays makers jetting abroad in search of sun, and adding to the problem as a result.
It is now obvious to most that both central government and us as individuals must do something if our lives are not to change for the worse.
We have to recycle more, leave smaller carbon footprints, and look after our environment. This is something very close to my heart; protecting our environment in such a way that does not affect our prosperity as a nation or our competitiveness requires clever government. We need to house our growing population and renew old housing stock, whilst preserving our greenery.