Kris Hopkins

Last day of campaigning

2010-05-05T13:20:00.000+01:00

After three and a half years as the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Keighley and Ilkley, we are now down to the final few hours of the General Election campaign.

And, like David Cameron, I do not intend to waste a single second in my quest to bring positive change to the lives of local residents across this wonderful constituency.

Unlike several senior Labour politicians I have heard in recent days who think they have a divine right to people's votes, I believe I have to continue to work hard to earn the support of the electorate.

But equally, I believe the Conservatives have the correct policies to deal with the many problems faced by our country after 13 years of Labour Government.

For example, the Conservatives will take action to get our economy moving and halt Gordon Brown’s planned National Insurance increase to leave seven out of ten workers £150 a year better off than under Labour.

We will increase spending on health every year, while cutting waste in the NHS, so that more goes to nurses and doctors on the frontline, and make sure patients get access to the cancer drugs they need.

Conservatives will not cut the state pension, will protect Disability Living Allowance for over 65s and Attendance Allowance for pensioners and keep the winter fuel allowance, free bus passes and free TV licences.

We will keep child tax credits and protect them for those families on modest incomes.

A Conservative Government will fight back against crime, cut paperwork to get police officers on the street, and make sure criminals serve the sentence given to them in court.

And we will introduce an annual limit on non-EU immigration, tougher tests for marriage and student visas, and create a national border police force.

One of the most enduring - not to mention disappointing - aspects of this General Election campaign has been the need to correct Labour's endless stream of lies about what the Conservatives will do should we have the opportunity to form the next Government of this country.

But we have been straight throughout and hopefully demonstrated that by voting Conservative tomorrow, you will be voting for positive change.

If you live in Keighley and Ilkley, I hope you will support me at the ballot box.

And if elected, I promise not to let you down.

William Hague in Ilkley

2010-04-29T14:24:00.007+01:00

I had the great privilege of welcoming Shadow Foreign Secretary and former Conservative Leader William Hague to Ilkley earlier today where, unsurprisingly, he was greeted like the returning proud Yorkshireman he obviously is.

William has been to support my campaign in Keighley and Ilkley on numerous occasions since I was selected as the local Conservative candidate in 2006. And, each time, his presence has given everyone involved - myself included - a huge boost. This morning was no exception.

As well as meeting local residents, shoppers and local business people along The Grove, he also took the opportunity to address the hundred plus crowd which had gathered to see him and to catch a word.

He was very happy to take questions across the full range of policy areas including Afghanistan, pensions and the collapse of Equitable Life.

And from where I was standing (i.e. right beside him), William certainly seemed to satisfy every query raised on how a future Conservative Government would tackle each of these most important issues.

After almost an hour in Ilkley, he headed off to Leeds for a scheduled interview with the Yorkshire Post and a series of voter-centred engagements across the city.

As an aside, you may be aware that William recently joined Twitter and has already attracted almost 7,000 followers including former Republican Presidential candidate John McCain.

Here is how he Tweeted about this morning's visit:

"Good start to the day's campaigning in Keighley and Ilkley. On the way into Leeds and just saw some sheep trying to eat Lib Dem posters."

A marathon sprint

2010-04-26T11:04:00.002+01:00

A General Election campaign is a marathon and, waking up this morning, it felt like I had run one.

The truth is a little less heroic although running was, nonetheless, the cause of my suffering.

Because yesterday I had the privilege, for the second successive year, of climbing into the famous Cliff The Castle suit to take part in the 2010 Mascot Gold Cup at Wetherby Racecourse.

And running with me was the Conservative Keighley West Local Election Candidate Chris Herd, as Sir Ian "Beefy" Botham. As a local butcher, Chris was certainly the right man for that particular role.

In the end, neither Chris nor I were in any danger of "troubling the scorers" with regard to our finishing positions.

But our collective endeavours did manage to raise almost £400 for Manorlands Hospice in Oxenhope, with some money still to come in.

Thanks to everyone who put their hands in their pockets to support this most special of local causes.

Lies, lies and more Labour lies

2010-04-24T13:36:00.008+01:00

One of the most memorable moments of Thursday's second Prime Ministerial Debate, which like most people I thought David Cameron won comfortably, was when the Conservative Leader challenged Gordon Brown over Labour's lie-filled election leaflets.

Examples of these have, shamefully, been distributed in Keighley and Ilkley including one which falsely claims that a Conservative Government would put pensioners' benefits at risk.

As I have made clear every single day of this campaign but will happily do so again, the Conservatives will not cut the state pension but instead link it to earnings so that it goes up.

We will also will protect Disability Living Allowance for over 65s and Attendance Allowance for pensioners, keep the winter fuel allowance, keep free bus passes and keep free TV licences.

However, back to Labour's lies.

Yesterday, Conservative Campaign HQ produced an incredible 23 examples of Labour's scaremongering leaflets peddling lies about Conservative Party policies.

Amongst the large number of Labour candidates putting these out across their respective constituencies are no less than five Labour Minsters plus Gordon Brown’s own Parliamentary aide.

On Thursday night, Gordon Brown denied giving the go ahead for these leaflets.

But with his own ministers using them in their local campaigns, his comments have been shown up to be complete and utter rubbish.

So are these leaflets just the latest sign of Labour's increasing desperation to hold on to power? I think the answer to that question is obvious.

But no doubt local voters, in Keighley and Ilkley as elsewhere in the country, will have their own view.

Thankfully, they will also have the chance to express it on 6th May.

Campaigning in the Ilkley sun

2010-04-22T15:22:00.007+01:00

Exactly two weeks until polling day now and yesterday, like most days of the campaign so far, it was nice to get out and about in Ilkley.

Yesterday afternoon I was very pleased to be joined, not only a number of local activists including well-known Ilkley Conservative Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, but also by several members of the national Conservative Party board.

As ever, the response on the doorstep from Ilkley residents was warm.

It was then on to Christchurch in the centre of town for the latest in a series of hustings across the constituency.

Very well organised by Churches Together in Ilkley, it was informative, lively and an excellent example of democracy in action - and quite right too.

Michael Gove in Keighley

2010-04-19T20:07:00.012+01:00

I was delighted to welcome Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove to Keighley and Ilkley earlier today for a tour around the hugely impressive Keighley Campus of Leeds City College, due to open in September.

We preceded the visit with a short walkabout in Keighley town centre, accompanied by around 20 members of my campaign team.

Then it was on to the main event at the new £35 million campus where, in 2008, I joined the principal in formally launching the construction phase of the site.

It is a project very close to my heart, and not only because I am a former student of what used to be Keighley College.

But also because without the joint efforts of Conservative-led Bradford Council and the College to work together to locate, assemble and prepare the new 3.5 acre site adjacent to the town’s railway station, the dream could never have become reality.

The result is a modern, state of the art facility incorporating specialist vocational and general accommodation.

Despite the well-documented difficulties with air travel at the present time, we were able to buck the trend by boarding a plane – a "Keighley Airways" plane.

OK, in truth, it was just a mock-up, yet a very impressive mock-up which will shortly be utilised as a top-notch training facility for in-flight catering and attendance training.

As well as witnessing a remote-controlled robot do its stuff in what will be the hi-tech STAR Centre designed to encourage and stimulate interest in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), Michael welcomed the opportunity to meet and chat with members of staff and students.

And, if you’re in the mood for a chat, there’s generally no better company than hairdressers.

Before leaving, Michael expressed a willingness to return to the campus in September when it is fully operational.

By then I hope he will be playing a key role in a new Conservative Government.

Conservative Manifesto 2010

2010-04-13T12:58:00.000+01:00

The Conservative Party today launched our General Election manifesto, imaginatively entitled An Invitation to Join the Government of Britain.

And the clue is in the title.

As David Cameron said this morning, for far too long politicians have behaved in a way which suggests that they and only they have the answers to the problems faced by this country. And clearly we don't.

The manifesto is therefore asking the country not just to vote for Conservative candidates on May 6th, it is asking people to become involved in delivering positive change on behalf of us all should a Conservative Government be formed on May 7th.

Have a look for yourself here.

Promoting Conservative plans to build a world class NHS

2010-04-11T16:07:00.007+01:00

As my incredible team and I prepare for the first full week of the formal General Election campaign starting tomorrow, I would like to say a huge thanks to them and, most importantly, to the many residents of Keighley and Ilkley who have already indicated their support for our efforts come polling day on Thursday 6th May.

Yesterday marked a very special day on the campaign trail as we went out and about in Keighley and Ilkley town centres and beyond to talk to local people about what a Conservative Government would do to improve the NHS.

These plans include:

increasing spending on the NHS every year over and above inflation
ensuring the NHS focuses on the treatment of patients, not box-ticking
giving patients more choice
stopping the spread of hospital infections
ending the scandal of mixed-sex wards
increasing the number of single rooms in NHS wards
making sure cancer patients get the drugs they need
restoring access to an NHS dentist to a million people
free dental checks for all school children and
providing 4,200 more health visitors across the country

Under David Cameron, the Conservatives have become the Party of the NHS and I was delighted at the excellent and warm response our plans received from local residents.

The Shadow Home Secretary comes to town

2010-04-07T15:57:00.003+01:00

Day two of the General Election campaign proper and, after an excellent start yesterday, we had another huge lift at lunchtime today with the arrival of Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling.

Following David Cameron's visit to Yorkshire last night, Chris was spending the day here including a stop off at the Worth Valley Police and Community Contact Point in Haworth.

And it was excellent to have him here in Keighley and Ilkley so he could see for himself what can be achieved when the community comes together to combat criminal activity.

But the efforts of local volunteers and partners should not take away from the fact that, over the last 13 years of Labour Government, police officers have been forced to spend 50 per cent more time doing paperwork than out on patrol.

Thankfully, a Conservative Government will ensure that the police are allowed to get away from their desks and back out on our streets tackling crime.

At last

2010-04-06T16:29:00.006+01:00

After almost three years of dithering, indecision and trying to avoid the inevitable, this morning Gordon Brown was finally forced to call the General Election and to give the people of Keighley and Ilkley the chance to vote for change.

I have already been out and about in Keighley, in Silsden and in Ilkley handing out leaflets, hearing local concerns and shaking lots of hands.

But as someone who grew up in the constituency, who went to school here, who was educated here, who still works here and who has been the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate here since 2006, I believe I know what most local residents want.

And that is change.

There is a lot of hard work ahead between now and the close of polls at 10pm on Thursday 6 May.

But, with the support of my excellent campaign team, I cannot wait to get on with the job.

On reflection...

2010-03-30T15:36:00.001+01:00

There will no doubt be lots of comment on the news tonight and in tomorrow’s papers about Tony Blair’s re-emergence on the campaign trail.

But so far, one quote from former Labour Minister Peter Kilfoyle - who ran Tony Blair’s Labour leadership campaign in 1994 - sticks out:

"I think he epitomises all that people see as wrong about New Labour. I do know that he's a great turn-off to a great deal of people."

Indeed, and yet he’s still more popular in polls than the current Prime Minister whose inspirational leadership has led Mr Kilfoyle to admit that he was “never a fan or supporter of Brown” and to describe the current Cabinet as “the least politically able” of his lifetime.

Mr Kilfoyle is due to stand down as a Labour MP once the General Election is called.

I hope, after May 6th, both he and Gordon Brown have very long and happy retirements.

Gordon Brown: In office, but not in power

2010-03-29T11:01:00.001+01:00

Over the weekend, Alistair Darling confirmed he had threatened to resign from the Labour Government if Gordon Brown moved him from the Treasury in the last Cabinet reshuffle.

And, on the back of these comments, the Prime Minister was forced to offer a public assurance that the Chancellor would remain in post if Labour manages to cling to power after the General Election.

Back in 1993, former Tory Chancellor Norman Lamont famously accused the then Prime Minister John Major of being “in office, not in power.”

But at least Mr Major had the personal courage and political strength to sack his next door neighbour first, thus prompting Mr Lamont’s immortal and bitter line.

A cynical Budget from a cynical Labour Government

2010-03-24T14:59:00.001Z

Today’s Budget – delivered by Alistair Darling but with Gordon Brown’s finger prints all over it – was a cobbled-together mess of cheap political gimmicks, stolen Conservative ideas and fanciful statements.

Meanwhile, our country remains saddled with a £167 billion budget deficit this year with no hint of a plan from this clapped out Labour Government for how to deal with it.

Thank goodness the General Election is now only a few weeks away – and counting…

It’s official - Brown DID mislead to Iraq inquiry

2010-03-18T08:24:00.000Z

Yesterday finally Gordon Brown admitted he had misled when he told the Chilcot inquiry that defence spending had increased every year under Labour.

But, true to form, his “clarification” contained yet another untruth.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, Gordon Brown said that defence spending had fallen "in real terms" in "one or two years".

But the truth is that, under his watch, defence spending fell in real terms in FOUR years including during the height of the Iraq War. This has been confirmed by the House of Commons Library.

Sadly, nothing should surprise us about Gordon Brown any more – and yet it should.

Our country and, in particular, our servicemen and women deserve so much better.

Labour's union paymasters

2010-03-16T15:18:00.004Z

On the day that super-union Unite moved a day closer to disrupting the travel plans of thousands of British Airways customers this coming weekend, it was timely of Conservative Chairman Eric Pickles and Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove to publish a document outlining just how dependent the Labour Party’s General Election campaign is on Britain’s biggest union.

The dossier sets out in detail the fact that, in the three years since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, Unite has spent more than £11 million of its members’ money on buying influence within the Labour Party.

This extends from placing a key union operative inside 10 Downing Street, to taking effective control of many cash-strapped constituency Labour parties and installing Unite activists and officials as Parliamentary candidates.

At the head of Unite’s operations is its Political Director Charlie Whelan best known for being sacked as Gordon Brown’s poisonous spin doctor when the new Prime Minister was in the Treasury.

Whelan’s influence over the now Prime Minister is, once again, all-enveloping and certainly not in the best interests of this country.

Have a look at the document published earlier if you need any further convincing:

http://www.conservatives.com/News/News_stories/2010/03/~/media/Files/Downloadable%20Files/newmilitanttendency.ashx

And the award for best actor goes to…not Gordon Brown

2010-02-25T13:41:00.002Z

I do wish Gordon Brown would stop insulting our intelligence.

After Alistair Darling’s complaints about the "forces of hell" – in the form of the Prime Minister’s aides - being unleashed on him after he warned the recession would be worse than feared in 2008, yesterday we were treated to two counter-lies from Gordon Brown.

First, Mr Brown went on breakfast television to deny any responsibility or knowledge of the briefings against his Chancellor.

And then at Prime Minister’s Questions, he made a point of snuggling up to Darling in a farcical attempt to pretend they were best friends.

As David Cameron aptly put it in the House of Commons chamber, “any closer and they will start kissing.” Quite.

At the risk of becoming desperately repetitive, I do wish Gordon Brown would finally find some courage and call the election. Please?!

Shallow attempts at Durham-ing up support

2010-02-18T14:36:00.000Z

I see Gordon Brown’s and his Labour party pals are in Durham on the latest leg of their General Election campaign tour of Britain – paid for by you and me.

Today is the ninth so-called “away day” where, following a short Cabinet meeting and a stage-managed Q&A session in front of a sympathetic and stage-managed audience, individual ministers will fan-out on a series of visits aimed at attracting more votes for this breathtakingly bare-faced Government.

Each of these all-day stunts costs the taxpayer something in the region of £200,000 a time – and that’s before you add in the amount lost to the public purse as a result of paying Cabinet members a full-day’s salary whilst they are not doing their jobs.

On the day we discovered this Labour Government became the first in our nation’s history to borrow money in January - £4.3 billion of it – and increased the total bill for UK borrowing this year to £4,800 for each and every family, it does leave something of a bitter taste in your mouth.

Not that it will bother Gordon Brown and his cynical band of political opportunists one little bit.

Time for transparency

2010-02-12T11:26:00.006Z

In the midst of a flurry of other high profile political stories this week including the Labour Housing Minister saying he believed that, for some people, having their home repossessed could be "the best option," you may have missed Conservative Leader David Cameron launching the Transparency section of the party's draft General Election manifesto.

As people in Keighley and Ilkley are very well aware, billions of pounds have been wasted by this Labour Government through costly bureaucracy, public sector non-jobs and an explosion of unelectable quangos. We can't go on like this.

The Conservatives have therefore committed to introduce change that will do more for less.
This means transforming the way the state goes about its business, using decentralisation, accountability and transparency to reduce dramatically the cost of Government.

And we will also committed bring the operation of Government out into the open so that everyone can see whether you are receiving good value for money.

A David Cameron-led Conservative Government will therefore:

Put all national government spending items over £25,000 online.

Put online the salaries and expenses of the 35,000 most senior civil servants.

Abolish any quangos that do not: perform a technical function; perform a function that requires political impartiality; or act independently to establish facts.

Open up Government data and publish datasets in full and online.

Call a moratorium on the creation of new Information Computer Technology (ICT) projects; no ICT project will be commissioned without first seeing if it can be done for free or at very low cost.

These are very sensible but necessary changes that we need and which will, hopefully, receive the support of residents across Keighley and Ilkley.

And, remember, they will only be introduced if you choose to elect a Conservative Government.

PR for GB

2010-02-03T10:44:00.001Z

Gordon Brown’s “death bed conversion” - as others have described it – to the need for a revised voting system takes his cynical and shallow approach to self-preservation down to an entirely new level. Not that we should be surprised, of course.

The 1997 Labour manifesto promised a referendum on ditching the current first-past-the-post system – before this commitment was ditched in the wake of their landslide victory. And the idea re-emerged in subsequent manifestos before, again, not being delivered.

And now, with only weeks to go before Parliament is dissolved and a General Election is finally held, Mr Brown has arranged for MPs to have an urgent vote on the matter.

So why now? Well, as ever with our illustrious Prime Minister, it is because he senses an opportunity.

Despite the Conservatives continuing to hold a multiple point lead in all the weekend polls, the fact that the current electoral system is skewed against my party means a hung Parliament is obviously possible.

And, how might Gordon Brown be able to persuade the Liberal Democrats to prop up a minority Labour Government should no party win an overall majority?

You’ve guessed it - with a promise to have a referendum on their pet project of a new method of electing MPs.

It’s pathetic really, particularly given the huge list of problems he has created – such as the largest budget deficit in history – and should be seeking to put right.

But forget your problems and my problems – it’s the Labour Party’s problems which matter most to Gordon. As ever.

Twisting the facts – and twisting my stomach

2010-01-29T12:01:00.003Z

I was opposed to the war in Iraq and said so publicly before the first missile was fired.

But given the “facts” on WMDs laid out by Tony Blair in the days and weeks leading up to the conflict, I can understand why others – including my own party – took a different view.

However, as we now are all now very well aware, there were no WMDs, meaning British troops went to war on a false premise.

You might think that former Prime Minister Tony Blair would since have displayed a bit of regret and contrition – embarrassment, even – at what he had done.

But, of course, Tony Blair doesn’t “do” regret, contrition or embarrassment.

What he does “do” is fine lines in arrogance and bare-faced lying, as his performance at the Iraq Inquiry – which is still going on as I write – is clearly demonstrating.

Early this morning on the radio I heard the mother of the first British soldier to die in Iraq speak of her love for her son – and her understandably less warm views on Tony Blair who sent her boy to his death.

I genuinely don’t know how this man gets to sleep at night.

Change urgently required as national debt continues to mount

2010-01-21T15:23:00.001Z

Figures released today show that the Labour Government borrowed an eye-watering £15.7 billion last month – an all-time record for December.

And it gets worse.

Because it has also been revealed that total borrowing for the first nine months of the 2009/10 financial year was an incredible £120 billion – the highest since records began in 1946.

The theme of my campaign to be the next Conservative Member of Parliament for Keighley and Ilkley is “Change.”

These figures underline why.

New Year, New Crisis for Labour

2010-01-07T16:03:00.001Z

I hope you had a relaxing Christmas and have since got off to a positive start in this New Year.

Someone who clearly hasn’t got off to a good beginning is Gordon Brown who has begun 2010 in much the same way as he spent large parts of 2009 – dealing with yet another crisis over his leadership.

I was as surprised as everyone when I first heard that previously loyal ex-Labour Ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt had plunged the knife into their long-time Cabinet colleague in the expectation that several members of the current top team would do the same.

But, like Gordon Brown himself and the General Election that never was in 2007, they bottled it.

Be in no doubt - this is a Labour Government in total meltdown. There has to be an election by June of this year – even Gordon Brown can’t get out of that one. And many Labour MPs are fearful over their own futures.

Indeed, self-preservation is clearly much higher up the personal agendas of Labour MPs than the problems faced by the people they claim to represent such as the economy, jobs, the NHS and schools – not to mention the difficulties faced by our troops in Afghanistan.

Political opponents of this dying Government, such as me, can chuckle at the damage Labour Ministers and MPs do to each other on what now seems to be a daily basis.

But I can assure you that it brings me no pleasure whatsoever when the damage being inflicted is to our country and, more specifically, to local residents in Keighley and Ilkley.

The sooner we have that General Election, the better it will be for us all.

A March election? Fine by me!

2009-12-15T08:49:00.001Z

There’s been a lot of newspaper speculation in recent days that Gordon Brown is considering holding the General Election on 25 March rather than 6 May.

And although I’ve said it before, I’m very happy to say it again: let’s get that election called and let’s allow the people of Keighley and Ilkley to have their say.

The day Skipton and Ripon came to Silsden

2009-12-10T08:22:00.000Z

I was recently very debted to my colleague Julian Smith, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Skipton and Ripon, who brought several members of his team to join up with the Keighley and Ilkley team to campaign for me in Silsden.

Julian is an extremely impressive and capable individual who, I know, will prove to be an outstanding Member of Parliament.

Here's a short film of what we got up to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gewuok3D3vE

A common sense approach to health and safety

2009-12-02T11:59:00.002Z

David Cameron’s attack on the health and safety culture which has sprung up across this country under Labour has received a positive response from the public – and rightly so.

Some of the examples he gave in yesterday’s speech – such as children being made to wear goggles by their head teacher to play conkers, and trainee hairdressers being banned from using scissors in the classroom – have gained the biggest write-ups in this morning’s newspapers.

But the most important remarks he made were on what a Conservative Government would do to begin to get the balance right, namely:

Establish clear and specific principles about when health and safety legislation is appropriate, and when it is not, so we can evaluate whether existing or future legislation is necessary.
Propose practical changes in the law to both bring an end to the culture of excessive litigation while at the same time giving legal safeguards to those who need them most.

David also announced that former Trade Secretary Lord Young would lead an extensive review into how the health and safety culture could be curbed. This would focus on a small number of specific questions:

How can we best protect what are effectively 'Good Samaritans'? Is it possible to extend legal protection for all people acting in good faith – especially public service professionals?
How can we help alleviate some of the health and safety oversight that currently burdens small, local and voluntary organisations? At the moment if their work benefits the local council they fall under health and safety law.
Civil Liability Act – do we need to define civil liability for negligence in statute? At the moment there is no single Act of Parliament that ties all this work together. Lord Young will examine whether such an Act would be necessary and effective in reducing our excessive health and safety culture.

All of these measures are sensible, practical and realistic – virtues the Labour Government have dismally failed to demonstrate in its approach to health and safety matters over the last 12 and a half years.

Cameron’s Conservatives still keen on green

2009-11-24T13:38:00.003Z

One of David Cameron’s greatest achievements so far as Conservative Leader is to have hugely and rightly strengthened the party’s commitment to tackling climate change.

And this was underlined once again earlier today in a speech by Shadow Chancellor George Osborne (left of picture), who said a Conservative Government should pay people to recycle, not “punish them…with bin taxes.”

The fact is that, by 2020, the United Kingdom must reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill by almost two-thirds if we are to meet targets laid down by the European Union. Creative thinking is therefore urgently required.

Since the spring, Windsor and Maidenhead Council - controlled by the Conservatives - has been working alongside a US company specialising in “pay to recycle schemes.”

The project, funded by savings in landfill tax, has already attracted the support of more than half of eligible households – and boosted recycling rates by 30%.

As a result, the average participant household is set to receive around £130 a year in vouchers to spend in local shops, including Marks & Spencer.

To quote George Osborne in his speech yesterday: “We’ve shown on the ground in one area of the country that this approach works – so it’s make it happen across the country.”

As the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Keighley and Ilkley, I am only too happy to endorse this view.

Paying tribute to heroes past and present

2009-11-11T13:38:00.001Z

Like so many millions of others across the world at 1100 GMT this morning, I observed the two-minute silence to mark the exact moment when the guns fell silent on Armistice Day 1918.

But today was different to previous Armistice Day services I have attended for two reasons.

Firstly, this year was the first time that no British survivors of the trenches were able to be present at any of the commemorations. Harry Patch, 111, Bill Stone 108 and Henry Allingham 113, who attended services last year, have all sadly died during the course of 2009.

Secondly – and speaking as an ex-soldier myself - I cannot personally remember such a high level of public interest in the Remembrance commemorations and the Poppy Campaign than we have seen this year.

The reason, of course, is very obvious.

The almost daily reports of British casualties in Afghanistan is having a huge impact on our nation’s psyche, and a great many people simply wanted an opportunity to demonstrate their total support for our brave servicemen and women.

The arguments regarding the rights of wrongs of that campaign are perhaps best left for another occasion.

But the respect for our Armed Forces, both past and present, has to my mind never been higher in modern times than it is today.

And that fact, in the midst of the current doom and gloom, can only be viewed as a positive development.

Labour: We got it wrong on immigration

2009-11-03T13:43:00.000Z

Yesterday, Alan Johnson finally admitted what Conservatives have been arguing for many years: that this Labour Government has massively failed our country on immigration.

This admission is a very welcome development but it also marks a clear change in approach from the Home Secretary.

Because, only three months ago, Mr Johnson said he did not “lie awake at night” worrying about the fact that his Government’s soft approach to immigration had led to an official projection that the population of this country would rise to 70 million within 20 years. Two thirds of the projected increase, according to the Office of National Statistics, will be through migration or by births to new migrants.

So, what motivated Mr Johnson’s sudden outburst of honesty?

Could it be that he still fancies his chances of replacing Gordon Brown as Labour’s latest unelected Prime Minister in advance of the General Election, as many newspapers continue to report?

There seem few other explanations.

Let’s talk about the real issues

2009-10-16T08:42:00.000+01:00

Parliament returned to businesses again this week and, sadly, MPs expenses are back at the top of the agenda.

This is unfortunate on two levels.

Firstly, because the ongoing scandal – and it is a scandal – brings great shame on our country and many of our politicians and that can be good for no-one. That said, it is clearly right that the mess is cleared up and those individuals who overstepped the mark pay back what they owe – and, where appropriate, be prosecuted.

But there is a second reason.

Many commentators thought that the issue of MPs’ expenses would dominate Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions. However, what they forgot was that the session was due to begin with Gordon Brown reading out the names of the 37 servicemen who had died in Afghanistan since the House of Commons last met.

It took the Prime Minister almost four minutes to read out the name, rank and regiment of each of the individuals who had fallen, each detail listened to very sombrely by all of the MPs in the Chamber.

And it is issues like the Army’s current role and objectives in Afghanistan, together with the ongoing recession and the need to rebuild our economy that our politicians and the wider nation should be discussing and debating – not the how much and for what our MPs’ have been claiming in expenses.

The sooner we can draw a line under the matter and move on to dealing with the bigger problems that affect this country and its people, the better it will be for us all.

Party almost over for Labour

2009-10-01T11:47:00.001+01:00

The Labour Conference comes to an end in Brighton later today, and thanks goodness for that.

I don’t know about you, but I am becoming rather sick at the sight of Gordon Brown, Peter Mandelson, Harriet Harman and Ed Balls being given free rein to talk down to us and tell “what the British people are thinking” day after day from the Conference platform and night after night on the news.

I’m out and about talking to so-called “ordinary people” much more often than they are and, with regard to Keighley and Ilkley, I can assure the Labour high command that local residents here have long since had enough of them.

Following, no doubt, yet another patronising speech from ambitious-beyond-her-talents Harriet Harman this morning, the Party Conference roadshow will move on to Manchester next week for the main event – the Conservative Party Conference.

I do hope that you, like me, will find what the Tories have to say much more inspiring and fresh that what we’ve been subjected to over the last few days from Labour.

Another Labour tax on families

2009-09-24T14:51:00.003+01:00

The Labour Government has confirmed it intends to slap a broadband tax on families before the forthcoming General Election.

The new tax will be charged on everyone in this country with a fixed telephone line.

We should be seeking to stimulate investment in broadband which is so vital for this country to compete effectively in the global market.

But putting yet more financial burdens on already hard-pressed families is not the way forward.

Once again, Labour ministers have got it wrong.

Normal service is resumed

2009-09-07T17:26:00.000+01:00

Today marks that special moment when all remaining pupils go back to school following the summer holidays, and some sense of normality and routine returns to the lives of parents up and down the country.

Meanwhile, with Gordon Brown now back behind his desk for almost a week, the now familiar pattern of U-turn and chaos is back at the heart of government.

This is not to say that his line-up of deputies including Harriet Harman, Jack Straw, Alistair Darling and Peter Mandelson did any better whilst they were supposedly “running the country.”

But nobody can quite mess things up as effectively as Gordon “Where Can I Hide?” Brown.

The ongoing Libyan controversy is, of course, self-inflicted on so many levels.

And if he thinks a quick flying visit to Camp Bastion is going to suddenly win support for his tragically flawed approach to the ongoing war in Afghanistan, well, he’s simply more deluded than ever.

On the bright side, at least the countdown to the General Election is now properly underway.

Thursday 6 May 2010 is still thought to be his preferred date but, for the sake of Keighley and Ilkley not to mention the nation as a whole, I hope polling day is much sooner than that

A break but not a rest

2009-07-29T13:04:00.002+01:00

After another 12 months of frenetic political activity, I am about to head off for a break.

However, with the General Election getting closer by the day, the campaigning will continue and I will still be out and about in Keighley and Ilkley at various points in August, knocking doors and delivering leaflets with other members of my team.

And there’s another reason why I don’t want to go too far away.

With Gordon Brown on holiday, Peter Mandelson is apparently in charge of the country and so I think it best to be closer to home!

Have a good summer.

Further contempt for our Armed Forces

2009-07-28T10:39:00.001+01:00

News that the Ministry of Defence will go to court today to try to reduce the amount of compensation awarded to two injured soldiers is yet further evidence – not that it was needed – that this Government has the welfare of our servicemen and women well down its list of priorities.

Both men had their very modest awards increased after complications with their wounds – but the Government believes they should only be compensated for their “original injuries.”

This is nothing short of scandalous and hardly sends the right signal to our troops currently fighting and dying in Afghanistan, not to mention those soldiers shortly due to fly out to relieve them.

It also underlines how out of step Gordon Brown and his dwindling team are with the current mood of this country.

The fog of Labour

2009-07-14T12:42:00.001+01:00

There is a very serious debate raging at the moment over a lack of proper equipment and, in particular, helicopters for our troops in Afghanistan. And, as ever, the Labour Government is being dishonest with the British people.

First, it is a simple fact that Chancellor Gordon Brown pushed through a £1.4 billion cut in funding for helicopters in 2004.

And second, whilst he and his ministers have been running around saying that British helicopter numbers in Afghanistan have increased by 60% since 2006, what they have failed to admit is that our troop numbers have doubled since then.

As someone who served with the British Army during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, I know only too well how vital the availability of helicopters is in treacherous areas where roadside bombs are an inherent danger to soldiers’ lives – for South Armagh substitute Helmand Province.

They are not a luxury but a necessity and the very least our men and women in uniform should expect when deployed in such a theatre of operations.

But, once again according to Gordon Brown and co, our troops and their commanders could not be happier with their lot.

The phrase “fog of war” is a well-worn one in times of conflict.

However, under this Labour Government, we can talk about fog being deliberately placed in the way of the truth almost each and every day.

Tragically, our soldiers are being made to pay for the deceit over a lack of helicopters with their lives.

Countdown for the conmen

2009-06-29T11:57:00.001+01:00

This morning’s confirmation from Peter Mandelson that the planned Comprehensive Spending Review is to be scrapped is further confirmation that Labour does not wish the public to see which Departments will receive cuts to their budgets after the General Election should they be successful.

This country’s debt is now approaching £1.3 trillion – a mind-blowing figure –yet Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling want to continue the pretence that Labour will continue to spend in the years ahead rather than tackle the increasingly desperate economic problems we face.

There appears nothing that this wretched Labour Government will not do or say in their attempts to fool the British people and cling to power.

But, thankfully, the citizens of this country are not stupid and the vast majority will not be fooled.

The day of comeuppance for Gordon Brown and his diminishing band of followers is getting ever closer.

A Major difference in character

2009-06-09T08:40:00.001+01:00

The events of the last few days surrounding Gordon Brown’s future have led me to cast my mind back almost exactly 14 years to when then Prime Minister John Major was facing increasing murmurings about his own leadership.

I’ve since found and now reproduce below an extract of the famous statement he delivered in the garden of Number 10 following his decisions to resign as Conservative leader on 22 June 1995. It makes interesting reading:

“I've been deeply involved in politics since I was sixteen. I see public service as a duty and if you can serve, I believe you have an obligation to do so.

“I've now been Prime Minister for nearly five years. In that time we've achieved a great deal, but for the last three years I've been opposed by a small minority in our party. During those three years there have been repeated threats of a leadership election. In each year, they have turned out to be phoney threats. Now the same thing again is happening in 1995.

“I believe this is in no one's interest that this continues right though until November. It undermines the Government and it damages the Conservative Party. I am not prepared to see this party I care for laid out on the rack like this any longer.

“To remove this uncertainty I have this afternoon tendered my resignation as leader of the Conservative Party to Sir Marcus Fox, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, and requested him to set the machinery in motion for an election of a successor.

“I have confirmed to Sir Marcus that I shall be a candidate in that election. If I win, I shall continue as Prime Minister and lead the party into and through the next election.

“Should I be defeated, which I do not expect, I shall resign as Prime Minister and offer my successor my full support.

“The Conservative Party must make its choice. Every leader is leader only with the support of his party. That is true of me as well.

“That is why I am no longer prepared to tolerate the present situation. In short, it is time to put up or shut up.”

The fact that Mr Major went on to preside over a massacre at the polls two years later is almost irrelevant, as the Conservative Party was essentially incapable of being led at that time. Indeed, he was much more popular with the British public than the party itself.

But my point is very simple – Gordon Brown does not possess either the guts or the principles to “do a Major” and gave his own party a chance to have a say on whether he should continue as their leader.

Instead, he prefers the classic Brown techniques of authorised briefings against perceived opponents – Environment Minster Jane Kennedy resigned yesterday after being his latest victim – strong-arm tactics from his whips and sheer, old-fashioned delusion.

I would imagine historians will, in years to come, judge John Major much more kindly than they will Gordon Brown.

HRH Gordon Brown

2009-06-01T16:39:00.001+01:00

In the midst of the continuing hoo-hah over MPs' expenses, Gordon Brown now finds himself accused of failing to secure an invitation for Her Majesty The Queen to this weekend's D-Day 65th Anniversary commemorations in France - in case she over-shadows his own regal presence.

The Queen has no official engagements on Saturday and Buckingham Palace has made clear it would have accepted an invitation had one been forthcoming.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Brown defended the situation saying that the event was intended, "for prime ministers and presidents."

It must therefore have escaped his attention that presidents, like kings and queens, are heads of state meaning Her Majesty should certainly be there.

But that, of course, would mean the Queen standing alongside Presidents Obama and Sarkozy rather than the Prime Minister himself.

Gordon Brown's premiership has long since defended into farce but this, in my view, takes it to an entirely new low.

A General Election is the only way that trust can be restored

2009-05-21T16:46:00.000+01:00

I was very happy to support David Cameron’s call earlier this week for an immediate General Election as a means of restoring people’s trust in our political system.

As an elected politician of 11 years experience and a political anorak for many years before that, I have never known a situation like the one we have at present. And there is a very good reason for this - it is unprecedented.

The ongoing scandals surrounding MPs’ expenses - MPs from all parties – has brought shame on our Parliament and our country.

Over the last few weeks, we have had wave after wave of party leaders and others including the Speaker running to the fore claiming they have the solution to the problem.

And yes, clearly I would say this, but I think only David Cameron has come anywhere close to making the rights calls and taking the proper action against those individuals in his own party who have stepped out of line.

But there is a bigger issue that must be addressed –people must be allowed to have their say on their local MP’s conduct.

Parliament belongs to the people, not MPs, and people must have faith in their Parliament.

Mandates must be renewed and a General Election must be called.

Please click on to http://www.signforchange.com/ if you want to support the Conservative campaign for this to happen.

Brown dithers and deflects whilst Cameron is ready to lead

2009-05-13T13:23:00.000+01:00

In the midst of the ongoing and, at times, jaw-dropping controversy over MPs’ expenses, the deepening recession continues to bite in an equally shocking manner.

Yesterday we learnt that 244,000 people had lost their jobs over the last three months – the largest quarterly rise since 1981 - taking the total number of unemployed to 2.22 million.

And today we had further confirmation that the Labour Government was much too optimistic with its economic forecasts in last month’s Budget after the Bank of England announced that the economy would contract by 4.5% this year – a full 1% more than that predicted by Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling.

David Cameron rightly received credit for his leadership in taking swift and very strong action on Conservative MPs’ expenses yesterday whilst, yet again, Gordon Brown dithered.

And whilst Gordon Brown continues to spend his time trying to deflect blame for his central role in the economic crisis which is costing so many people their jobs and homes, David Cameron and George Osborne have never looked more ready to take responsibility in Government for placing us back on the road to economic recovery.

Shameful treatment of Gurkhas

2009-04-30T09:40:00.001+01:00

This morning’s newspapers make grim reading for the Labour Government in general and Gordon Brown in particular.

The Prime Minister’s attempt to block Gurkha soldiers from being given equal rights of residence in Britain showed once again how out of touch he is with the public mood.

"Better to die than be a coward" is the motto of these incredibly brave men who form an integral part of the British Army.

As such, the least this country can do is show its gratitude by allowing them to settle here if they wish to do so.

Despite Gordon Brown’s attempts to suggest that changing the rules would lead to a flood of Gurkhas and their families, this was never going to be the case.

A very large number have already said they do not plan to come here but simply wanted to have the same rights as other soldiers who have served this country – as they should.

As a former soldier myself, I am very aware of the incredible achievements and dedication of the Gurkha Brigade.

Their dignity and decency contrasts very sharply with the shameful behaviour and attitude demonstrated by Gordon Brown and also those other Labour MPs who yesterday attempted to deny the Gurkhas justice.

I was very sorry to learn that Keighley and Ilkley MP Ann Cryer was one of them.

Ready for the gun

2009-04-16T11:37:00.003+01:00

Sometimes in life – especially if you’re a politician – you have to step forward, take responsibility, show leadership. And be prepared to make a complete fool of yourself.

It is with this in mind that I have agreed to run as 'Cliffe the Castle' in the Mascot Gold Cup 2009 at Wetherby races on 26th April for Sue Ryder Care - Manorlands Hospice.

The race is over the final furlong (220 yards) with six fences between me and the finish line. Before the race I will also be involved in the 'Best Turned Out Mascot' competition when the mascot that has raised the most for their chosen good cause will also be named.

Manorlands Hospice – at Oxenhope in Keighley - provides specialist palliative care for patients from Airedale, Craven Bradford and Wharfedale with cancer and other life limiting illnesses.

Manorlands relies on voluntary contributions for the majority of its income and never charges patients for any of the care they receive. Last year the hospice cared for 650 patients and supported hundreds more relatives, carers and friends of patients.

Obviously, I want to raise as much as I can and would therefore welcome any contribution you feel able to make.

The easiest way to do this is by donating online at www.justgiving.co.uk/krishopkins

I hope you can help.

Will there be bloopers in The Gordon Show?

2009-04-01T14:29:00.001+01:00

As world leaders arrive in advance of the G20 summit in London, one must hope that something positive emerges when the final communiqué is issued although I’m very doubtful that it will.

But whatever way you look at it, it is simply impossible not to escape the obvious conclusion that the whole event was conceived by Gordon Brown - who is now attempting to stage manage it - simply for the purpose of making him look good in front of a domestic audience.

However, each of the other Prime Ministers and Presidents taking part in the discussions have their own political agendas.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for example, has a General Election to worry about in six months’ time. French President Nicholas Sarkozy has also made ominous noises that he intends to do things his way.

So will it all go wrong for Gordon?

Alongside my day job and my campaigning activities in Keighley and Ilkley, it really will be an engrossing spectator sport to keep an eye on over the next 36 hours.

Hannan: The devalued Prime Minister of a devalued Govt

2009-03-27T14:52:00.005Z

It might easily have escaped your notice that, earlier this week in Strasbourg, the Prime Minister found himself the subject of an incisive and rather brilliant three-minute political attack from Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan.

Gordon Brown had just addressed the European Parliament and trotted out his now routine list of reasons why what has happened to our economy was nothing whatsoever to do with him despite 10 years as Chancellor and two as PM.

But then Mr Hannan struck.

The reason why I say you may have missed his speech was because both the BBC and ITV decided against showing it.

Thankfully, it was picked up by YouTube and, as I write this, more than 1.1 million people across the world - including a very large number in the US - have clicked on to have a look.

I would encourage you to do the same: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs

Governor slaps down Brown

2009-03-25T11:51:00.002Z

Gordon Brown, a tribal politician of the very worst kind, is now finding himself completely out on a limb on what to do next to tackle this country’s deepening recession.

He is currently travelling round the world, trying to play the statesman in advance of next week’s G20 summit where he desperate hopes for “Gordon Saves The World” headlines.

However, his favoured and so far only approach to the economic crisis – i.e. throw more of our money at it – was balked last night by Bank of England Governor Mervyn King who rightly said that this country could not afford another “fiscal stimulus.”

It is advice that the Prime Minister should heed. This country has racked up a debt it will take generations to pay back and it has all happened on his watch, both when he was Chancellor and in Number 10.

This is a man who wasted £12.5 billion on a temporary VAT cut which experts said at the time would never work – but he did it anyway.

He is a man out of control and, fuelled by narrow-minded personal and political ambition, he has left our economy equally out of control.

Brown's mini mea culpa

2009-03-17T11:41:00.005Z

And today it came - sort of.

Yes, Gordon Brown uttered something about how he maybe, perhaps, just possibly might have done a teeny weeny bit more to deal with the financial markets when he was Chancellor. Oh, and he was talking about 10 years ago.

However, given the chance to offer the British people a proper apology for his pivotal role in the destruction of our wider economy and the hardship a great many people and businesses are now going through - no thanks, said Gordon.

Clearly, this morning's extremely minor self-criticism - during an interview with The Guardian - has been carefully calculated to allow him to say that, yes, he has admitted responsibility for something, small though it maybe.

But it's just so typical of the man.

Everything he and his little Downing Street cabal do is based on ruthless calculation. It's carefully staged-managed and it's aimed at seeking to gain personal political advantage rather than seek to help the country they claim to run.

Rumours continue to persist in the media that Brown and chief lieutenant Peter Mandelson are considering calling a General Election on Thursday 4 June, the same day as the European Parliamentary polls.

Unsurprisingly, it would be a carefully calculated move which hinges in the first instance on whether the Prime Minister can be painted as a saviour at the G20 summit in London at the beginning of next month.

From my point of view, I wish that General Election was tomorrow.

I am certainly ready and I believe the country is too.

Tragic news

2009-02-25T10:56:00.004Z

I was driving through Keighley earlier this morning when the news broke that David Cameron’s six-year-old son Ivan had died.

As well as spending the last few days taking part in intensive negotiations on Bradford Council’s budget for the next twelve months, I have been making preparations for David’s planned visit to the district later in the week. Clearly, this visit is now very unlikely to take place.

My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with David, Samantha, Nancy and Arthur.

Ed’s Balls-up exposes true thinking

2009-02-10T09:43:00.000Z

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls’ widely reported comment that he believes the current recession in this country is "the most serious for over 100 years” could well prove to be a pivotal moment in the life of this Labour Government.

Last week, at Prime Minister’s Questions, Downing Street was quick to point out that Gordon Brown did not mean to say the word “depression” during one of his now legendary non-answers.

And last night, the same beleaguered spindoctors did not try to deny that Ed Balls said what was reported but, instead, made clear that he didn’t mean to say it.

Putting these two “slips” of the tongue together, it isn’t hard to understand that Ministers at all levels are trying - and obviously failing – not to say in public what they are clearly saying in private.

It is time for them to come clean and make clear how bad they believe this economic mess is going to get.

No more lies – let’s have the truth.

Economic Recovery Committee announced

2009-02-09T11:48:00.003Z

Today’s announcement by David Cameron of a new high level committee to discuss the ongoing economic crisis and review Conservative Party policy in this area is welcome news on several fronts.

First, the committee will include external figures of the quality of Google chairman Eric Schmidt and Next Chief Executive Simon Wolfson together with former senior civil servants and several Shadow Ministers. This should guarantee a wide range of informed views and therefore more robust conclusions on how our economy gets itself out of the mess Gordon Brown has created.

Second, it demonstrates that David Cameron is happy to put the country rather than his Party first – any good ideas will be on the table for the Labour Government to use should it wish to do so.

And thirdly, it gives a lie to Gordon Brown’s grossly inaccurate and overdone description of the Tories as the “do nothing party.” Whilst it is clearly the job of Her Majesty’s Official Opposition to scrutinise and criticise the policies of the Government of the day, it is also its job to put forward alternatives.

The formation of this committee is further evidence that, once again, David Cameron and his team are taking the latter responsibility very seriously indeed.

A self-inflicted crisis

2009-02-03T12:34:00.001Z

As I write this, news is emerging across the country of further illegal strikes against the use of foreign contractors.

Clearly any industrial action which is contrary to the law of the land is wrong and I have no hesitation in condemning it.

But this is a crisis – and make no mistake, for it is now a crisis – which has is a direct result of Gordon Brown’s grossly misleading promise of “British jobs for British workers.”

By saying what he did, the Prime Minister deliberately raised expectations which he knew he would never be able to deliver.

Indeed, what Gordon Brown was advocating was every bit as illegal as the current strikes.

But yet again, it was headlines that he was after and he has certainly got plenty of these.

Unfortunately for him, they are definitely not of the kind he was hoping for.

Peers are not above the law

2009-01-28T12:30:00.000Z

As someone who hopes to take his seat as the next MP for Keighley and Ilkley after the next General Election, I maintain a keen interest in what Parliament is up to.

Obviously the elected chamber, the House of Commons, is of greatest interest to me. But the House of Lords also has a very important role to play in our democracy.

Prior to its reform and the removal of all but 92 of the hereditary peers, the Upper House effectively had an inbuilt Conservative majority.

However, the creation of scores of new Labour life peers, first by Tony Blair and more recently by Gordon Brown, has reversed this.

The changes have also altered the atmosphere of the place. It has a harder, more professional edge and the Labour Whips in the Lords are every bit as ruthless in their approach as they are in the Commons.

That is one reason why the ongoing scandal surrounding four Labour peers accused of accepting payments to amend laws is so important, for it goes to the very heart of how that party and this Government conducts itself.

It also goes right to Gordon Brown’s door, not least because one of those accused – Lord Moonie – is a close friend of the Prime Minister and even stood down from his Commons seat at the last General Election in favour of the then Chancellor whose seat was being abolished.

I was therefore pleased to hear that Conservative Leader David Cameron, should he become Prime Minister, would change the law to expel peers found to break the code of ethics.

All politicians – whether they are local councillors or parliamentarians – should be dealt with very harshly if any allegations of corruption against them are found to stick.

And that includes members of the House of Lords.

Minister "green shoots" herself in the foot

2009-01-15T08:55:00.001Z

Before yesterday, I hadn’t heard of Baroness Vadera.

But, after her “green shoots” comments yesterday, she is now a household name.

And, not only is she a Business Minister, but she is also apparently one of Gordon Brown’s closest confidents.

Her comments were described by some as “insensitive,” coming on a day when thousands of people found out they were to lose their jobs, and this is absolutely right.

However, of even more concern was the fact that it exposed the quality of advice the Prime Minister is receiving on the economy.

We already know that he is completely out of touch.

But it is distressing to learn that someone handpicked by Gordon Brown to guide him on business issues appears to be even more remote from the realities of life than himself.

You couldn’t make it up.

No guarantees with Labour loan scheme

2009-01-14T12:35:00.000Z

Today’s Government announcement of a £20 billion loan guarantee scheme for small and medium-sized firms is a pale copy of Conservative Party policy and a move which seems unlikely to get the banks lending at the level required to help the economy.

The scheme will, in effect, enable the Government to insure banks against companies defaulting on loan repayments.

But David Cameron and George Osborne have argued for some time that £20 billion is not enough and, instead, Ministers should go further and underwrite £50 billion of loans.

Time will obviously tell whether this Labour Government has, yet again, made the wrong call.

New Year despair instead of Christmas hope

2008-12-22T12:23:00.000Z

In his last set-piece news conference of 2008, Gordon Brown told journalists that Britain had been a “victim” of the economic downturn which, he claimed for the umpteenth, came from abroad.
Meanwhile, many respected commentators continue to say he much the Prime Minister appears to be enjoying himself as the financial crisis deepens and as more and more people lose their jobs, their livelihoods and their homes.

It will not surprise anyone when I say I’m not a huge fan of Gordon Brown.

However, his obstinate refusal to accept responsibility for any of his glaring mistakes and his obsessive belief that he is right and everyone else is wrong in relation to his handling of the economy is becoming disturbing in the extreme.

The weekend newspapers seems to suggest that there is a less than 50% of a General Election in 2009 which would guarantee up to 18 more months of this man as our Prime Minister.

Christmas should be a time of hope and good cheer but I’m afraid these are emotions I am having difficulty in summoning up at the present time.

Iraq war inquiry should be held

2008-12-18T15:42:00.000Z

Today in the House of Commons, Gordon Brown again defied the wishes of all of the other political parties by rejecting calls for an inquiry into the Iraq war.

As David Cameron said in his response to the Prime Minister’s statement, the inquiry should be independent, have a wide remit and possess the power to question ministers.

Gordon Brown’s response was that an inquiry should not be held whilst troops are still in theatre – but that is to miss the point.

Whilst most of our soldiers will soon be leaving Iraq, they will remain in Afghanistan, probably for many years to come.

We owe it to them and their families – and to the memory of the 178 men and women who have lost their lives in Iraq – to ensure that any mistakes made in the Gulf since 2003 are not repeated.

For once, Gordon Brown should show both courage and leadership by agreeing to an immediate inquiry.

The right decision for the right reasons?

2008-12-17T12:30:00.002Z

As en ex-squaddie and someone who was opposed to the Iraq war from the outset, I am pleased that Gordon Brown has today announced the Government’s plans to pull British troops out of the country from next spring.

However, unfortunately it’s difficult not to question his true motives in, first, taking this decision and, secondly, making this public now.

Grabbing the headlines will, as ever, be at the top of the list.

But could his move be even more calculated than this?

Could he be clearing the decks for a General Election early in 2009, perhaps in February/March?

By shutting down the Iraq war as a campaign issue, he has set up the potential for an election that would effectively be a referendum on who is best to run the economy.

Gordon Brown with his “grand plan” which, in his own misguided view, has already saved the world? Or the “do nothing Tories,” as the Prime Minister and his grovelling acolytes have tried to label the Conservatives.

The longer Gordon Brown waits, the more the economy will deteriorate and the more people will realise that his “grand plan” is hugely flawed and almost certainly crippling for this country for many years to come.

This suggests it is therefore in his best interests to go early.

No doubt, our forever indecisive Prime Minister will not yet have made up his mind.

But, from the point of view of my own General Election campaign, I’ll be ready when he is.

Upstaging Her Majesty

2008-12-04T15:54:00.000Z

As Shadow Chancellor George Osborne pointed out last night, the detail of Gordon Brown’s announcement on help with mortgage payments for people who lose their jobs is much more relevant than the headlines he managed to generate.

The Prime Minister claimed in the House of Commons that the eight major mortgage lenders had signed up for the plan.

However, it later became apparent that two of them - Lloyds TSB and HBOS - had not yet agreed to the details of the scheme and that all eight had been less than fully consulted.

If the scheme genuinely helps people to keep their homes, then it must be welcomed.

But there are two major questions relating to the timing of the announcement, the answers to which reveal a lot about the state of the Labour Government at the present time and the vanity and the sheer calculating nature of Gordon Brown.

Firstly, why was the announcement not included in last week’s Pre-Budget Report when this would have been the obvious place for it? The answer, according to Treasury sources, is that they hadn’t thought of it by then.

And, secondly, once the decision had been made to proceed with the proposal, why wasn’t it then included in the Queen’s Speech?

The answer to this is easier to give: Gordon Brown decided not to risk being upstaged by Her Majesty and, instead, held the detail back so he could announce it to Parliament himself, grab the headlines and seek to wrong foot David Cameron.

At a time of grave economic difficulty, people should be able to feel that the Government knows what it is doing on their behalf, is not making decisions on the hoof and, when it does decide to make a call, the policy announcement is not then choreographed simply to make the Prime Minister look good.

We have long come to expect incompetence from this Labour Government but, when it comes to the antics of the Prime Minister, I never thought I’d say it – the present incumbent makes even Tony Blair look sincere.

Yorkshire Cabinet visit is further example of ‘Stalinist’ Labour

2008-11-28T16:22:00.000Z

Earlier today I had the “privilege” of attending today’s “public” question and answer session with the Cabinet in Leeds.

It was one of the most tightly controlled supposedly public meetings I have witnessed with every question put to the Prime Minister clearly vetted beforehand.

As a result, there was not one syllable of criticism directed at the stage - it was simply another example of the Stalinisation of the Labour Government under Gordon Brown.

Our nation’s economy is in crisis but, instead of seeking the genuine views and concerns of people in Yorkshire, all Gordon Brown and his colleagues came here for was good PR and sycophantic praise from friends and admirers.

It was an insult to our intelligence and a snub to Yorkshire.

An expensive journey into the unknown

2008-11-20T16:53:00.000Z

The build-up to next Monday’s Pre-Budget Report (formerly known as the Autumn Statement) is one of the most bizarre I can remember.

Every day for the last fortnight we’ve been subjected to hints and suggestions from Ministers and Labour apparatchiks on what may or may not be in it.

Tax cuts seem certain, as do measures to help small businesses including forcing banks to lend them more money.

Normally, this speech is low key in comparison to the Budget itself, but not this time.

Indeed, such is the profile being given to the event that many in the political world are now speculating about whether Gordon Brown is intending to use Monday as a launch pad for a June 2009 General Election.

This would certainly seem like a logical conclusion because, from what we know so far, his Monday giveaway followed another one in the Budget proper next spring will almost certainly place this country in greater debt than at any time in living memory.

The Government has already conceded that taxes will have to go up to pay for these splurges; what they have not admitted is that Labour dare not risk doing this in advance of a General Election.

However, an election on June 4th - the day of the European and county elections - would allow Gordon Brown, should he be successful, to put our taxes back through the roof on June 5th.

So, where’s your money?

We need actions, not words

2008-11-12T10:12:00.001Z

Although widely predicted, this morning’s news that unemployment had risen sharply to 1.82 million was still extremely disturbing.

Experts are also now suggesting that this number will increase to close on 3 million as early as next summer.

The Tories were derided in the 1990s – rightly in my view – after the then Chancellor Norman Lamont said that rising unemployment was a price well worth paying to keep inflation down.

The fact is, unemployment is a personal disaster for those individuals and their families who have to endure it and this should never be forgotten by politicians.

However, as the numbers of unemployed continues to go up in the months ahead, it is actions and not words that those affected will demand.

I was therefore very pleased when, yesterday, Conservative Leader David Cameron proposed offering tax cuts worth £2,500 per person, per year to employers who hire new workers previously unemployed for three months or more.

£2.6 billion of tax breaks would be given to employers in total and this would be paid for using the money saved on welfare payments.

Crucially, the proposal would create an estimated 350,000 new jobs over the next year – exactly what the economy and the country needs at this time.

I hope very much that Gordon Brown takes David’s advice and acts on this very sensible suggestion without delay.

Labour is gambling our future

2008-11-10T08:22:00.000Z

Today’s newspapers are crammed with suggestions that Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are preparing to offer billions of pounds worth of tax cuts to families and small businesses in the forthcoming Pre-Budget Report.

As a Conservative, I am generally supportive of tax cuts. But it is clear that these Government measures will be funded by yet more public borrowing.

Two questions stick out about what Gordon Brown is up to.

First, are these giveaways part of a plan to call a spring 2009 election, which many Labour strategists are apparently now urging?

And secondly, when this election comes – whether it is next year or 2010 – will there be any money left for an incoming Government of whatever colour to do anything with?

Given the record levels of national debt we are currently saddled with and the likelihood of much more to come should these tax cuts come to pass, the answer appears to be a resounding no.

Meanwhile, I understand that David Cameron and George Osborne will shortly unveil separate Conservative plans for tax cuts.

However, unlike the Brown/Darling plans, the Conservative proposals will be fully funded – in other words, paid for by identified savings in other areas rather than increased borrowing.

This is an excellent example of the difference between today’s Labour and Conservative parties: Conservatives wish to creating a better and sustainable future for us all based on responsible economic policies.

In contrast, Labour wish to play Russian Roulette with our future by pouring money down black holes and increasing our national debt in the hope of some short-term political gain.

Thankfully, I believe the people of Keighley and Ilkley will not be fooled.

Train pain

2008-10-30T17:31:00.000Z

Network Rail has been today been instructed to improve the quality of its service with less money and there’s going to a row.

I have no particular sympathy for the company as it’s clear it has not been anywhere near as efficient in its use of public money as it should.

However, the fact remains that reducing chronic overcrowding on our rail network was one of Labour’s key pledges when they came to power in 1997.

They have failed dismally. Indeed, the problem is worse now than at any time in living memory.

Rather than wheeling Network Rail bosses out to take the flack for everything that’s going wrong with our trains, shouldn’t Labour Ministers by accepting at least some responsibility for the ongoing debacle?

Clearly the answer is yes – but it isn’t going to happen.

The Beast of Bolsover comes to town

2008-10-29T13:23:00.001Z

I see that old left-wing dinosaur Dennis Skinner is due in Haworth on Friday to address local Labour Party members.

One can only marvel at the range of imaginative and far-sighted new policy ideas he will seek to win them over with when he speaks.

The only way is down

2008-10-27T17:44:00.000Z

Tonight’s television news programmes will no doubt be dominated once again by images of Gordon Brown talking up his plans to “invest” huge amounts of taxpayers’ money to ease the pain of the recession.

However, a little bit of reading between the lines will quickly reveal that what in reality the once so-called Iron Chancellor is doing is borrowing more and more cash to pay off the country’s existing debts – debts that he was largely responsible for racking up in the first place.

And you don’t have to be an economist to work out that, as he borrows more to pay off the debts, so the overall national debt will simply continue to grow.

So when and where will this horrendous cycle of economic decline end?

With regard to timing, it seems extremely unlikely to turn around whilst the Labour Government remains in power. Today’s Financial Times reports that Alistair Darling will announce on Wednesday he is scrapping Gordon Brown’s fiscal rules introduced in 1997, thus allowing him to borrow even larger amounts in the months ahead.

And on where, goodness only knows although one fact is now obvious.

Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were handed a golden economic legacy by John Major and Ken Clarke when Labour came to power 11 years ago.

Should the Conservatives be successful at the next General Election, it appears David Cameron and George Osborne will be handed exactly the opposite.

42 days charade comes to an end

2008-10-14T07:40:00.000+01:00

Away from the ongoing financial crisis, Labour’s long-drawn out attempt to increase the number of days terrorist suspects can be held to 42 days finally hit the buffers last night.

Their Lordships rejected the proposals by a majority of almost 200 votes, the Government’s biggest defeat in the Upper House since the removal of hereditary peers almost 10 years ago.

This was a battle that should never have been fought and was born out of the Government’s shallow wish to look tough on terror.

But looking tough and being effective in the fight against terrorism are two very different things and the 42-day measure would simply not have worked.

Leaving party politics to one side, I only need to quote the words of Lord Dear, a former West Midlands chief constable and crossbench peer, who spoke in last night’s debate.

"This attempt to appear tough on terrorism is a shabby charade which is unworthy of a democratic nation,” he argued.

"This legislation is fatally flawed, is ill thought through and is unnecessary. Perhaps worst of all, it seeks to further erode the fundamental legal and civil rights that have been the pride of this country for centuries.''

His words provoked the traditional response of their Lordships when they’ve heard a speech they like – “hear, hear.”

It is a response I am happy to echo.

An unfortunate incident

2008-10-09T08:33:00.000+01:00

As reported in today’s Keighley News, last Sunday morning I was the victim of an assault in the town - http://www.keighleynews.co.uk/news/3740356.Council_leader_attacked_at_station_by_thief/
My over-riding thought is that I find it incredible that two individuals can set about perpetrating their crimes in broad day light in the centre of Keighley and expect to get away with it.

These individuals have no respect for Keighley or anyone who lives there. And clearly few people in Keighley would have any respect for them.

I hope they are apprehended by the police – as I believe they will be - and dealt with severely by the courts.

Perhaps then they will understand that such blatant criminal activity have no place in our town - or any town.

The truth will out

2008-09-24T09:01:00.002+01:00

Following one or two technical problems, I’m back online.

Since my last blog, I had the pleasure of welcoming Conservative Leader David Cameron to Ilkley where we co-hosted a meeting of local residents affected by the collapse of Equitable Life.

This is an issue I have campaigned on for some time and the solutions are clear: the Labour Government must apologise for their role in creating this mess and set up a payment scheme to compensate policyholders for their losses.

David repeated his position at the meeting that, if Gordon Brown failed to deal with the matter, then he would as the next Conservative Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, although delivering what most neutral observers regard as a passable speech (though vacuous in my view) speech at yesterday’s Labour Conference, Mr Brown is on the back foot yet again this morning after it emerged that Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly has asked to leave the Cabinet. Her wish seems likely to be granted next week in a Government reshuffle.

However, this one is clearly worth watching given the accusations and counter accusations being traded between supporters of Gordon Brown and, “sources close to” Ruth Kelly herself.

Was she really intending to be part a group resignation involving perhaps three other Cabinet Ministers?

Was news of her requested departure really leaked by Downing Street overnight to throw her off balance?

Did she really tell friends she was “disgusted” by yesterday’s Brown speech, as the Daily Mail now claims?

And, if she is as embittered against the Prime Minister as some political commentators would have us believe, is revenge on her mind?

I would imagine we will not have to wait too long to receive the answers to these questions – particularly the last one.

This farce must end

2008-09-12T08:35:00.000+01:00

“Of course I take responsibly for the state of the economy.”

The words of Gordon Brown during yesterday’s news conference to supposedly announce help with rising energy costs.

The £910 million of “help” will, it turns out in classic Labour style, be paid for by the very people – you and I – the measures were supposed to assist after Ministers confirmed they could not force energy companies to stop increasing bills further to claw back the money they had agreed to shell out for this scheme.

As for Gordon Brown taking responsibility for the economic mess we’re now in, it’s sadly a case of another day, another slogan.

If he truly was taking responsibility, he would come forward with some genuine measures to turn things around.

Instead what we have is a steady stream of excuses why our problems are everyone’s fault but his, coupled with announcements first on housing, then on fuel costs which, whilst trailed in the media as hugely significant, turn out to be damp squibs.

Surely this farce cannot go on for much longer.

A proud day

2008-09-10T08:44:00.001+01:00

St Paul’s Cathedral in London will be the venue for a very special service later today.

More than 300,000 servicemen and women served their country during Operation Bannerman, the codename for military operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007.

Of these, 793 lost their lives and more than 6,000 were injured, many permanently.

I was proud to have completed two tours of the Province with the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and they were undoubtedly the highlight of my time in uniform.

They were difficult times but I was surrounded by heroes.

With Northern Ireland now largely at peace, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the sacrifices made by those of my colleagues who were not as fortunate as me.

It is also right to salute the bravery and fortitude of their families who had to grieve for their loved ones or care for them when they returned with dreadful wounds.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget but, in this case, I - like everyone else who served there during the dark days of the Troubles - never ever will.

A Conservative Party for all

2008-09-09T08:16:00.001+01:00

I found yesterday’s Guardian interview with Shadow Chancellor George Osborne both useful and positive on several levels.

He was right to be frank in pointing out that a new Conservative Government will not be able to deliver everything it wants to deliver because of the financial mess it will inherit from Labour.

However, he was able to balance this very necessary health warning with a promise to find a way out of the mess by moving the country away from Gordon Brown’s obsession with taxing everything in sight.

He also spoke of the need to alleviate poverty, describing raising the opportunities and aspirations of Britain's so-called “underclass” as “the great challenge of our age.”

His comments on the latter, although consistent with the approach taken by the Party since David Cameron became leader, are nonetheless very reassuring for those who still doubt our commitment to becoming a Conservative Party for all, not just the few.

And, on solving the nation’s economic difficulties, his words are both honest and spin free – as they tend to be.

Interviews like this make my job, as a Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, very straightforward.

Living on an island

2008-09-05T07:29:00.001+01:00

In a speech to the Scottish CBI last night, Gordon Brown again repeated his line that Britain’s deepening economic crisis was the fault of everyone but himself.

And in a message to the British people, he proclaimed loftily that he and his Chancellor, Alistair Darling, “understand the difficulties you face.”

The Prime Minister then failed to offer a single suggestion on how he intended to turn things around.

Instead what we had was a man standing on a stage, holding his hands aloft and crying, “my hands are clean and I don’t intend getting them dirty for you lot.”

It’s a total abdication of his responsibilities.

Do you think if he joined Mr Darling at his Outer Hebridian croft for a few weeks and didn’t call in, would anyone notice?

I would say not.

Back in the Brown

2008-09-03T08:44:00.001+01:00

Gordon’s Brown’s latest attempt to re-launch his premiership returned to Earth with a bang last night after the Organisation for Economic Co-Operations and Development’s (OECD) dire prediction that Britain would be alone amongst the G7 nations in seeing its economy slip into recession.

So much for Mr Brown’s supposed “brilliant stewardship” of the economy over the last 11 years.

And a quick look through this morning’s newspapers would hardly have brightened his mood.

The Mail comments that the OECD assessment “severely undermines the premier's claims that the UK is well-placed to withstand the global downturn."

The Telegraph reports that the housing rescue package was "greeted with almost universal condemnation."

And, not forgetting poor old Alistair Darling – who was shoved out of the way to allow the Prime Minister to make yesterday’s housing announcement with Communities Secretary Hazel Blears but left to pick up the pieces in media interviews afterwards - The Times says the Chancellor was "unable to answer questions on how he will pay for the £600m stamp duty holiday as he endured another awkward day of speculation over his future."

Apparently next week’s Brown re-launch will centre on rising fuel prices.

The subject for the following week’s attempt is yet to be confirmed.

Back to the future

2008-09-02T17:42:00.000+01:00

I trust you all had a good summer break.

One of the many joys of Keighley and Ilkley is you don’t have to climb on to a plane in search of better scenery – this is already the most beautiful part of the world.

I therefore had what’s now commonly referred to as a “staycation” where I did a few things around my home in Oakworth, climbed up Pen-y-ghent several times and went campaigning in various parts of the constituency. It was wonderful – except for the weather.

From my many conversations with local residents over the last few weeks, it is clear that dissatisfaction with this Labour Government continues to be at an all-time high, as is the expectation of a Conservative Government after the next General Election.

This presents two challenges for Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidates like me.

First, is to continue to point out where Labour is going wrong – this is the job of Opposition, after all..

But second, is the need to inform voters in Keighley and Ilkley what Conservatives would do were we in power.

Under David Cameron, the Conservative policy portfolio is becoming increasingly detailed and impressive.

And, at Conservative Party Conference which begins at the end of this month, I expect a lot more flesh to be put on to the large number of ideas already set out.

I hope, over the next few months, you will continue to visit my website and blog to learn more about these policies as they are announced and to debate them with me.

The new political season is now well and truly underway – and I, for one, am delighted.

What goes around comes around

2008-07-31T10:48:00.000+01:00

Some of the rumours surrounding possible attempts to remove Gordon Brown as Prime Minister must be familiar to him.

One increasingly strong suggestion is that September will herald a wave of resignations from Ministers and Parliamentary Private Secretaries in protest at his leadership.

Such a move would mirror the failed coup by some of Mr Brown’s closest allies in September 2006 in an effort to get rid of Tony Blair.

Several of those involved were later handed plum jobs in Brown’s Government including Tom Watson, who resigned as a Defence Minister under Blair but was then handed a key post in the Cabinet Office as soon as his mate Gordon entered Number 10.

Brown’s reputation for bullying colleagues and enemies whilst at the Treasury was well-deserved.

For him, instilling fear in others and ruling by dictat were very much the norm.

To my mind, the events of the last couple of days underline one key fact above all others – the fear factor has gone.

David Miliband’s article, press conference and general demeanour of yesterday demonstrated this vividly.

So too have countless briefings being given by Labour MPs to political journalists.

Yes, the vast majority of these have been off the record thus far but don’t be surprised if this changes over the next few weeks.

A General Election must be held

2008-07-25T08:56:00.000+01:00

If ever more evidence were needed that the British people have had enough of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister, it came in the early hours of this morning with Labour’s Glasgow East by-election defeat.

It has already been described by some political commentators as the biggest by-election shock in modern history and it’s hard to argue with this view.

Indeed, yesterday the bookies were continuing to strongly favour a Labour win.

The upshot of all of this is that the people of this country – you and me – now have a problem.

We are being led by a Prime Minister who has lost the moral authority to govern. And, around the Cabinet table, he is surrounded by several senior ministers – including the Home Secretary and Chancellor – likely to lose their seats at the next Election.

Meanwhile, our nation’s economy is slipping ever further towards recession.

As it stands, we may have to put up with another two years of this before the General Election is called, and goodness knows what state the public finances will be in by then.

The Prime Minister’s position is now untenable and the Labour Government’s standing unsustainable.

Something clearly has to give and, in the best interests of the country, give soon.

An early General Election seems the only credible way out.

Planning for the revolution

2008-07-24T07:47:00.001+01:00

Conservative Leader David Cameron and Shadow Skills Secretary David Willetts yesterday launched a new policy paper containing ambitious plans for “a training and apprenticeship revolution” in this country.

The proposals include:

· A huge expansion in the number of apprenticeships backed by £775 million of new money to support apprentices of all ages
· A £100 million fund to increase learning opportunities for young people not currently in education, employment or training
· Cuts in wasteful bureaucracy at further education colleges
· Extra money to improve careers advice services

As Chair of the Leeds City Region Skills and Labour Market Panel, I am acutely aware of the problems we face locally in relation to skills shortages and the huge need for improvement if our young people are to achieve their full potential for themselves and for the economy.

I hope these very well thought out proposals can serve as the basis for this to happen under a future Conservative Government.

No policies to tackle knife crime

2008-07-14T08:07:00.001+01:00

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith yesterday outlined a number of supposedly new “shock tactics” to be used against young offenders caught in possession of a knife.

It has since emerged that these measures were first announced in a Home Office press release at the beginning of last month so aren’t new at all.

Although quick to reject sensible Conservative calls for anyone carrying a knife to go to jail, it is clear the Government has no strategy to deal with this terrifying scourge on our streets.

As ever with Labour Ministers, it’s cheap headlines first, serious policy development second.

Post Office boss stamps PM’s card

2008-06-11T08:10:00.000+01:00

Interesting comments from the Managing Director of Post Office Ltd over yet more threatened closures.

Alan Cook has told the Commons Business and Enterprise Select Committee he would oppose any Government proposals “to further shrink the size of the network.”

Already Labour Ministers have decided to force more than 2,500 branches to shut nationwide including, of course, four in Keighley and Ilkley

It is clear that Mr Cook has had enough of being Gordon Brown’s fall guy.

The closures we have already seen have caused great stress and anxiety across the community in Keighley and Ilkley, particularly amongst elderly and disabled residents.

Last week I wrote to Gordon Brown to demand that the closure programme is brought to an immediate end.

It would be very helpful if his Labour Party colleagues in Keighley and Ilkley – including the MP - would have the courage and integrity to join me in this fight.

At the moment, their silence is deafening.

Government under friendly fire

2008-06-05T18:48:00.002+01:00

"We will do everything in our power” to help members of the Armed Forces, said Gordon Brown in response to comments from General Sir Richard Dannatt – head of the Army – in this morning’s press.

In an unprecedented move for someone still in post, Sir Richard had complained that many of his soldiers were paid less than traffic wardens. Although obviously meaning no disrespect to traffic wardens for the often difficult job they do, few of them can realistically claim to be in any mortal danger. This, unfortunately, is not the situation our soldiers generally find themselves these days.

The Government argues that servicemen and women currently benefit from, for example, improvements to healthcare. However, surely this should go without saying considering the injuries and worse so many of them have had to endure – and continue to endure - in war zones over recent years.

Indeed, the recurring allegation that the Government is in constant breach of the Military Covenant is very well-founded.

Following the highly-publicised snub of the Police when their independent pay recommendations were rejected by the Home Secretary on the instruction of Gordon Brown, Labour’s disregard for our men and women in uniform has again been exposed.

And once again, this Government has been found to be out of step with the people they supposedly serve.

Turning in the road

2008-05-28T07:45:00.000+01:00

Despite Downing Street denials, yesterday’s interventions by Jack Straw and John Hutton in the debate on Labour’s so-called “poll tax on wheels” have left most informed political commentators simply arguing over not if but when Gordon Brown will perform yet another U-turn.

As it stands, Vehicle Excise Duty is set to increase retrospectively on all cars bought before 2001.

Such a change would impact on 70 per cent of drivers in this country, each of whom would have to pay up to £245 extra a year to licence their cars.

The policy has been dressed up by Ministers as a “green tax.” But, amusingly, Greenpeace issued a statement describing it as “the kind of measure that gives green taxes a bad name.” You couldn’t make it up.

The U-turn, when it comes (and the smart money is on this autumn when the Chancellor delivers his Pre-Budget Report) will of course by driven (pardon the pun) by backbench Labour MPs in state of panic at the prospect of losing their seats.

It also seems likely that Alistair Darling will not now proceed with a 2p rise in fuel duty planned for October.

Prior to becoming Prime Minster, Gordon Brown was frequently described by his Labour Party admirers as an unrivalled political strategist.

But the last disastrous few weeks have seen any pretence at a Brown strategy for the future direction of this country – and, in particular, its finances – fly straight out the window.

As a result, the aforementioned political commentators are also agreed it is now a question of when not if Gordon Brown will be thrown out of Number Ten – and by whom.

Home Secretary takes a beating

2008-05-22T08:45:00.000+01:00

You will probably be aware of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith’s uncomfortable ride at yesterday’s Police Federation annual conference.

Ms Smith was accused of a breach of faith for refusing to honour the police pay deal – something that would’ve cost the Government £30 million, a significant amount less than the £2.7 billion it committed itself to last week in an attempt to buy its way out of the 10p tax row.

However, what must’ve shocked the Home Secretary most was the sheer lack of respect shown to her in a room filled with 1,000 police officers. Police Federation Chair Jan Berry taunted her over her admission that she’d taken cannabis at university. “Your recent crimes have been more serious for the serious fraud office than the drug squad,” said Ms Berry.

And, whilst praising Jacqui Smith for having the guts to attend the conference, she added: “I am sure ... you [feel] like reaching for a stab proof vest and perhaps slipping into old habits and lighting up to calm your nerves.”

Then, after praising Children’s Secretary Ed Balls for accepting the independent recommendation on teachers’ pay (and praise is not something Ed Balls receives too often), Ms Berry continued: “So it suited Mr Balls to defend the teachers’ pay deal but it didn’t suit you to do the same for us. Home Secretary, what is it Mr Balls has but you do not?”

Ouch!

Senior Cabinet Ministers are traditionally treated with respect at conferences such as this, no matter who the post holder is. Delegates may not always agree with what is being said, but it’s rare for them to bite back so openly.

The incident is further proof, not that it’s needed, that the so-called “tipping point” in the life of this Labour Government has been reached.

It would be a surprise if this balance is not tilted significantly further against Ministers in general and Gordon Brown in particular by events in Crewe and Nantwich this evening.

The party's coming to an end

2008-05-08T08:43:00.005+01:00

I tend not to follow Scottish politics too closely.

However, the public spat between Scottish Labour Leader Wendy Alexander and Prime Minister Gordon Brown is yet another example of the disarray that party is now in.

She has called for an immediate referendum on Scotland’s future place in the Union. He says she hasn’t.

She says he agrees with her “position.” But he says her position and his position – that everyone waits until a devolution review reports - are the same, which they clearly aren’t. (Apologies if I've lost you).

Even if a referendum was called - and this is now almost certain by 2010 at the latest – it is likely to be lost heavily by the nationalists.

But the current situation underlines yet again how much Gordon Brown’s power and authority have waned within his own ranks.

Wendy Alexander has long been regarded as one of the Prime Minister’s closest confidants - she has written many of his speeches on constitutional matters. And with closeness comes respect. Or, in their case, it did.

But, as with many of his Labour colleagues in Westminster, respect now seems to be draining away in his own former stronghold of Scotland. Otherwise, why would she have spoken out without proper consultation in the way she did?

It’s hard to imagine how political life can get much worse for the man.

Government right on cannabis

2008-05-07T08:44:00.000+01:00

One of the most important aspects of being a “constructive Opposition” is having the confidence to say when the Government is right.

The decision to reclassify cannabis as a Class B drug - to be confirmed in the Commons later today – is such an instance.

The drug was downgraded to Class C when Tony Blair was Prime Minister. This was a foolish move and Gordon Brown is, for once, quite correct in performing a U-turn on behalf of the Labour Government.

The argument put forward is that he is worried about the use of “skunk,” a more lethal form of cannabis.

However, to my mind, the use of any illegal drugs is wrong and kids deserve as much protection as possible from them as the state can provide.

Opponents of the reclassification argue that the move will do little to deter people from smoking cannabis.

That’s as maybe, but surely it’s worth a try.

A humbling experience

2008-05-06T15:20:00.003+01:00

Any politician standing for election who does not feel nervous before the count and humbled by a successful outcome is in the wrong business.

I can therefore confirm that I felt very nervous before the ballot boxes for my local council ward of Worth Valley were opened on Friday morning and both humbled and elated to find I’d gained 60% of the vote.

To those 2,475 residents who decided to place an X beside my name, I would like to say a huge thank you.

For those who didn’t, be assured I remain as committed as ever to providing everyone who lives in the most picturesque ward in the country with the best possible representation in the years ahead.

They're at it again

2008-04-30T15:00:00.001+01:00

Yet again, Labour Ministers have been caught being less than honest over increased taxes.

This morning it emerged that owners of cars up to seven years old will be hit by an extra road tax demand as a result of the 2008 Budget.

The Government was forced to admit it was quietly abolishing the exemption for older cars from the highest rates of vehicle excise duty. This means that owners of larger cars bought since March 2001 will find that their road tax will rise steeply from next April.

"It's not as clear in the Budget as it could be,” said a Treasury spokesman. “It's not explicitly spelt out." No doubt as a result of an instruction from his political masters.

As with the abolition of the 10p tax rate – which could yet be the defining moment of Gordon Brown’s rapidly declining premiership – it is obvious that the characteristic Labour tactic of keeping its metaphoric head down in the hope that no-one notices their pockets have been picked was never going to work.

The British people simply aren’t that stupid and it is the sign of this Government’s arrogance that Ministers think we are.

Meanwhile, many larger families on moderate incomes will now be clobbered by another bill for £245.

Mood swings

2008-04-28T11:54:00.001+01:00

Yesterday’s News of the World poll made interesting reading – and not just because it predicted my own victory in Keighley and Ilkley at the forthcoming General Election.

The survey was conducted in the 145 most marginal seats at the 2005 Election where Labour came first and the Conservatives second.

If translated into real votes, the predicted 9% swing would give Prime Minister David Cameron a 64-seat majority in the new Parliament.

Clearly much can and no doubt will happen between now and polling day in 2009 or 2010.

However, it’s reassuring to know that real people on the ground clearly like what we’ve been saying on the big issues in recent months.

But for now, it’s on with the hard work.

They think it’s all over?

2008-04-24T12:57:00.002+01:00

Gordon Brown’s U-turn on compensating some of those affected by the abolition of the 10p tax rate is already well on the way to unravelling.

Last night Treasury Chief Secretary Yvette Cooper was characteristically patronising and woolly on Newsnight, refusing to be specific on who would benefit from the U-turn, by how much and when it would happen.

Then, speaking in the Commons this morning, Chancellor Alistair Darling said it would “take time” to finalise the compensation package, adding that the tax system could be “quite complex.”

Already several Labour MPs have spoken out to say they believe chief rebel Frank Field was too hasty in withdrawing his amendment guaranteeing compensation for those affected.

Should one of Mr Field's 45 rebel Labour colleagues re-table this or a similar amendment in time for Monday evening's debate, Gordon might well find himself back in the Brown stuff yet again.

Good Lord

2008-04-17T12:54:00.004+01:00

Just a day after Alistair Darling admitted that Labour needed to "sharpen up," the party's crazy-haired peer Lord Desai today claimed the combination of an economic downturn and the Prime Minister's presentational weaknesses now made it "very difficult" for Labour to win the next General Election.

He also confirmed that many senior figures in the party were turning their minds to who would succeed Brown as leader.

Lord Desai told the London Evening Standard: "Gordon Brown was put on Earth to remind people how good Tony Blair was.”

Could things get much worse for the Great Leader?

Labour Government wrong on tax change

2008-04-08T10:48:00.001+01:00

It was interesting to watch Treasury Select Committee Chairman and Labour MP John McFall come out last night and join the increasingly widening attack on the Government’s decision to scrap the 10p income tax band.

The normally loyal former Minister is usually very happy to defend his party colleagues at moments of crisis. But not this time.

His comments, coupled with ex-Sports Minister Kate Hoey’s description of the last Parliamentary Labour Party meeting as “sulphurous” over the issue is an indication of the increasing panic and paranoia rumbling through the ranks of the Brown administration – and it’s hardly surprising.

Over the last two months, 73 Labour MPs have signed at least one Commons Motion opposing the change.

Conservative Leader David Cameron is entirely correct when he says that this tax grab on some of the country’s poorest people must be stopped.

And, rather than simply talk about it, David has backed moves to block the measure when the Finance Bill returns to the House.

The next phase of this battle for what is right should be very interesting and I hope, for the sake of those in greatest need in our society, it is a battle the Labour Government loses.

There should be an Iraq war inquiry

2008-03-26T14:51:00.001Z

It is hugely disappointing yet also sadly predictable that Labour MPs have blocked Conservative efforts to establish an inquiry into the war in Iraq.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said an inquiry could not take place whilst British troops remained on Iraqi soil. This is a ridiculous position to take given the ongoing uncertainty over how long they are likely to remain.

As William Hague said during the Commons debate, now is undoubtedly the right time to hold an inquiry – when memories are still fresh and all the relevant documentation is available.

Unlike the majority of my Party, I was against the war from the outset. But making political capital is not what an inquiry is or should be about.

It is about learning lessons so the same terrible mistakes cannot be repeated in the future.

175 British service personnel have lost their lives since the Iraq conflict began.

Their families deserve to know why and they deserve to know it now.

Surprise, surprise...

2008-03-20T08:51:00.000Z

...she didn't bother to vote!

This is the second time in the last three weeks she has failed to take part in votes of real importance to residents in Keighley and Ilkley.

Previously, she failed to participate in the House of Commons vote on allowing the new EU Reform Treaty to be put to a referendum of the people – something which was included in the Labour manifesto on which she stood for re-election in 2005.

Joking aside, both episodes amount to a very serious dereliction of duty.

Ann Cryer has been elected to represent the voters of Keighley and Ilkley in our nation's Parliament.

She is failing to do her job.

Post Office fight goes to Parliament

2008-03-19T08:16:00.001Z

Shadow Business Secretary Alan Duncan will today table a Commons Motion calling on the Government to suspend its plans to close more than 2,500 Post Offices across the country.

Unfortunately this very welcome move from my Conservative colleague will have come too late to save those four Post Offices in Keighley and Ilkley - at Bradford Road in Stockbridge, East Morton, Highfield in Keighley and Leeds Road in Ilkley - that have already been served with closure notices.

As I have said repeatly since becoming Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Keighley and Ilkley, the loss of our local Post Offices will have an extremely detrimental impact on our community and, in particular, on elderly and disabled residents.

Local Labour MP Ann Cryer did nothing to defend the four condemned branches until it was too late.

It will be interesting in today's vote to see whether she now seeks to defend those Post Offices at risk in other MPs' constituencies despite doing nothing to save those in Keighley and Ilkley.

Alternatively she may decide to keep her line consistent and continue to support the Labour Government's organised destruction of our national Post Office network.

Either way, she'll be rightly labelled as a hypocrite.

Brown can’t hold a candle to Cameron

2008-03-11T08:50:00.000Z

There is currently a storm of claim and counter-claim in the media over whether Madame Tussauds is planning to commission a waxwork of Gordon Brown prior to the next General Election.

Downing Street has apparently produced a letter saying the Great Leader has been invited to model for them sometime within the next six months.

Meanwhile, Tussauds say there is not yet sufficient demand for such an exhibit and that he hasn’t yet proven himself as PM in any case.

They add, somewhat cuttingly, that their model of Tony Blair is still a big draw with visitors.

Hopefully a David Cameron victory at the polls will allow the hollow arguments in favour of a Gordon Brown waxwork to quickly melt away.

Government caught out over plastic bags

2008-02-29T14:04:00.001Z

Gordon Brown’s praise for Marks & Spencer’s decision to charge customers for plastic bags is justified.

What he didn’t mention was the official figures, just released, which show that over the last two years Government Departments and agencies have bought more than 1.2 million plastic bags branded with their logos.

The election of David Cameron as Conservative Leader saw the issue of climate change being dragged to the centre stage of British politics for the very first time.

Ever since, Labour Ministers have been struggling to practice what David has been rightly preaching.

This revelation proves that they still have some way to go.

A criminal exercise in spin

2008-02-20T08:27:00.000Z

In the midst of the media storm surrounding the Government's decision to nationalise Northern Rock, it may have escaped your notice on Monday that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced plans to "reduce serious violent crime by 2011."

This, I remind you, is a Labour Government that's been in power for almost 11 years.

Why has it taken so long to come up with such a plan and why will it take another three years before we are likely to see any positive results?

Might it be anything to do with the fact that Labour Ministers, embarrassed by the continuing surge in violent offences, are trying to desperately to kick the issue into the long grass until after the next General Election?

You would not have to be much of a cynic to reach that view.

We’ve been quango’d

2008-02-14T12:35:00.001Z

New research published today reveals Yorkshire is massively under-represented on the boards of non-elected quangos.

The New Local Government Network report found that more than half of 1,000 quango board members live in London and the South East.

However, whilst this situation is both disturbing and wrong, the real scandal is the continued rise in the number and powers of these bodies across the country.

As the report confirms, quangos now have a combined annual budget of £123 billion of public money and yet a great many of them have next to no proper scrutiny for the decisions they take.

This situation must change and I know it is an issue high on the priority list for the next Conservative Government.

In the meantime, it is obvious that the membership of quango boards must become more representative of the country as a whole including the involvement of greater numbers of people from Keighley and Ilkley.

Troop welfare being neglected

2008-02-04T08:12:00.000Z

I was very concerned though hardly surprised to read this morning’s Daily Telegraph report on troop over-stretch in the British Army.

According to Ministry of Defence figures, one in 14 soldiers is currently unfit to deploy because of illness or injury.

It has also been confirmed that the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, currently in Afghanistan, recently had to leave 50 long-term sick troops behind and many other battalions are in exactly the same position.

The simple fact is that out troops are over-committed, under resourced and, as these figures prove, massively under-rested.

The Military Covenant is not being kept and, for that, Gordon Brown, Des Browne and every Labour Minister should hang their heads in shame.

Let's Talk Business Roadshow Rolls Into Keighley

2008-01-29T16:25:00.000Z

I was delighted to play my part in ensuring that Keighley was the first post-launch destination for an excellent new venture set up to showcase the spirit of black and ethnic minority enterprise across the country and to find out more about the current barriers to business success for black and ethnic minority women.

Hosted by the Asian Women’s Centre on Marlborough Street in Keighley and jointly promoted by the Conservative Party and the National Black Women’s Network, the main speakers included Shadow Cohesion Minister Baroness Warsi, Conservative Party Women's Officer Liz St Clair, National Black Women's Network Director Sonia Brown and my colleague Cllr Andrew Mallinson who holds the Economy Portfolio on Bradford Council’s Executive.

A number of highly successful black and ethnic minority female entrepreneurs were also present to take part in the roundtable discussion together a number of young women who have attended the Asian Women Centre's Business OCN Level 2 course.

An excellent day for everyone involved and a great day for Keighley.

Labour finally admits defeat on ID cards

2008-01-24T13:57:00.000Z

I have spoken out on many occasions over the last 18 months on why the Labour Government was wrong in its belief that compulsory national identity cards were good for this country.

The fact is that very little evidence exists to suggest they would assist in the fight against terrorism and illegal working.

And then, of course, there were the cost implications. Towards the end of last year, the Home Office was forced to admit that the cost of the ID card scheme had risen to more than £5.6 billion – a quite staggering sum.

The London School of Economics had already predicted that the eventual bill would be an even more mind-boggling £20 billion.

It is with all of this in mind that I am pleased to learn that the Government has finally seen the error of its ways although, New Labour being what it is, we have only discovered this through a Home Office leak.

When he became Prime Minister last summer, Gordon Brown had the opportunity to draw a line under the fiasco and say he would not proceed with the scheme. But, as has become his trademark since he entered Number Ten, he dithered. And, as he dithered, more taxpayers’ money was wasted.

Ever since the steam of data loss fiascos began a few months ago with HM Customs and Revenue CDs disappearing in the post and, most recently, Ministry of Defence laptops going AWOL, we have heard arguments that ID cards should not be introduced as the Government could not be trusted with our personal data.

This is a very fair point. But the fact remains – the scheme should have been cancelled long before now.

NHS patients continue to be kicked in the teeth by Labour

2008-01-16T13:25:00.000Z

A report out today reveals that more than seven million patients have been unable to see an NHS dentist for almost two years.

Most of those denied access have paid for private care instead, says Citizens Advice, but almost three million have gone without treatment altogether.

The figure includes thousands of children and is much higher than Government estimates.

"Improving access to NHS dentistry is now a national priority for the health service,” is the response from Health Minister Ann Keen – but what has the Labour Government been doing for the last 11 years?

Speaking at his party’s annual Conference in Bournemouth in September 1999, then Prime Minister Tony Blair promised that everyone in the country would have easy access to an NHS dentist within two years.

Today’s report proves that this pledge was, like so many before and since, just another example of Labour spin.

And in the meantime, millions of patients – mostly from the poorest households in the country – have been left to suffer pain and indignity.

An Opposition politician this morning described the ongoing crisis in NHS dentistry as “this Government's hidden legacy.”

I couldn’t agree more.