Inheritance tax

Inheritance tax is a real concern for millions of people in Britain, who work hard and save all their lives to try to hand something on to their children and grandchildren.

Currently more than two million homes are worth more than £325,000 and are at risk from Inheritance Tax. The Conservative Party believes that only millionaires should pay inheritance tax. That is why we propose raising the threshold upon which the tax should be paid to £1 million. Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are constantly telling the country that cuts in Inheritance Tax are not a priority. What they need to explain is why they have cut it last year, and this year, and why they still propose to do it next year. Is this yet more hypocrisy from Labour and Gordon Brown?

Class war

Gordon Brown signalled last week that he wishes to fight the next election on “class” lines. This is frankly bizarre, especially when we consider that Tony Blair spent fifteen years modernising the Labour Party to shake off this out of date approach to politics in Britain.

As I wrote recently in the Widnes and Runcorn Weekly News, Labour got its fingers burnt in Crewe last year when it tried to run a by-election campaign against “Tory toffs”. The people of Crewe responded emphatically, rejecting Labour’s negative message, and electing Edward Timpson. Thankfully, in Britain we care about where people are going, not where they are from. We care about whether the people who want our vote have the right ideas and values to represent us; not worrying about which school they went to, or whether their parents were rich.

It is the hypocrisy of Gordon Brown on this issue that disturbs me most. He makes constant references to Eton as if to embarrass David Cameron, but doesn’t mention that Labour’s most successful leader, Tony Blair, went to one of Scotland’s most prestigious public schools. He sees David Cameron’s background as a barrier to high office but not (rightly) John Prescott’s. What a strange way to try and win an election in 21st century Britain.

Weekly News- Afghanistan letter

The following letter was published in this week's Widnes and Runcorn Weekly News:

The British people are questioning our mission in Afghanistan and asking whether the war can be won. A recent ComRes opinion poll showed that 64 per cent said that the war is “unwinnable”.

These respondees are not questioning the dedication and bravely of our troops, over 230 of whom have laid down their lives since 2001, but are questioning why they are in Afghanistan.

One of the reasons the British people believe the war cannot be won is that the Government has not properly explained to us our mission.

The mission should be to deny Al Qaeda territory to plan more attacks against Britain and to prevent any resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism that will inevitably lead to more attacks on the streets of Britain, and against our interests around the world. That has to be better explained by the Government.

Along with this confusion over our mission, concerns have been rightly raised over the availability of helicopters for our troops, the provision of body armour, cuts in the TA budget, and the risks our troops faced to provide security for the recent deeply-flawed and discredited elections and to support President Karzai’s corrupt administration.

We need to focus our efforts, not on trying to impose democracy in Afghanistan, but to help the Afghan Government provide the security forces it needs to tackle the Taliban and Al Qaeda on its own.

As we continue to ask British soldiers to fight and die in the conflict, we need to ensure they are not fighting and dying in vain. We need to remember why they are in Afghanistan. And we need to give them the tools they need to do the job so they can return home.

Yours sincerely,
Ben Jones
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Halton

Weekly News- Rebuilding trust in politics

The following letter was printed in this week's Widnes and Runcorn Weekly News:

Politics and politicians have taken a major knock in the last year. All of us involved in politics have to rebuild trust with the electorate before the general and local elections, due at the latest by the beginning of June 2010.

In Halton, the Conservatives are committed to doing our bit to restore faith in politics and prove that we can deliver real change for local people.

Between now and the elections, we will make specific promises to the people of Halton of practical things we will deliver if elected in 2010. These pledges will offer the people of Halton a clear choice when they come to vote; knowing exactly what the Conservatives will do if put in charge of the Town Hall.

As we finalise our pledges for the elections, we are committed to listening to local people. We have already received lots of encouragement from local residents who have shared their ideas with us. To tell us what you think our priorities should be, please email via Ben Jones’ blog (http://benjaminjohnjones.blogspot.com) or write to us at Halton Conservatives, 63 Victoria Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7RP. We would like to hear from as many people as possible across Halton.

Together, we can give Halton and the country the change it desperately needs.

Yours sincerely,
Ben Jones (Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Halton) and Councillor Peter Murray (Leader, Conservative Group, Halton Borough Council)

Liverpool Hope Radio; The Lisbon Treaty

Yesterday, I did a live interview on Liverpool Hope Radio to talk about The Lisbon Treaty. The programme had interviewed local Labour MP Jane Kennedy and UKIP MEP Paul Nutall, and asked me to provide a Conservative Party perspective.

I reminded listeners of the betrayal Gordon Brown and the Labour Party had committed in refusing the give the British people the referendum it had promised in it's 2005 manifesto. I also reiterated the Conservative Party's commitment to our continued membership of, and support for, the European Union, but emphasised that we want to an open, flexible Europe, which serves the people not the other way round. I also reminded listeners of David Cameron's commitment to change the law so that never again would a government be able to agree to a Treaty that hands over areas of power from Britain to the EU without a referendum.

Weekly News- BNP blasted by Ben Jones

British National Party deputy leader Simon Darby defends use of Sir Winston Churchill in campaign material amid criticism from Ben Jones, prospective Conservative candidate for Halton

http://iccheshireonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_method=full&objectid=25252813&siteid=50020-name_page.html

THE BNP’s use of Winston Churchill’s image on its campaign material has been blasted by prospective Conservative MP for Halton, Ben Jones.

But senior figures at the BNP have hit back, claiming former Tory Prime Minister would have agreed with many of its views.

Images of the Second World War leader – a Tory for most of his career – have appeared alongside BNP leader Nick Griffin on his party’s website.

Mr Jones – who will stand against Derek Twigg MP at the next election – said: “Winston Churchill is rightly regarded as one of the great Britons of all time, who was a national hero during the Second World War.

“It is unfortunate that an organisation like the BNP, which is neither great nor heroic, should seek to use his image on their website and in their campaign materials.

“The best way to defeat the BNP is to ensure that all mainstream political parties tackle head-on their lies and bigotry and get their own supporters to the polls on election day.”

Simon Darby, deputy leader of the BNP, said Churchill would have shared many of his party’s views.

He said: “We believe if Churchill had the same political outlook now as he had then, he’d be thrown out of the Conservative party.

“Under mainstream parties we’ve seen the sell-off of British gold, and seen the loss of more freedoms to the EU.

“Thatcher took us into Europe and ensured we were wrapped in the tentacles of the EU federalist monster.”

He added: “If he were here now, we’d be the only party he could join.”

Dithering on MP's expenses

One of the biggest issues facing the country this year has been MP's expenses. We could have reasonably expected action on it to form part of the legislative programme announced this week by the government. No such luck. Despite all the talk of cleaning up politics and restoring faith in politicians, the government has failed to act when it had the perfect opportunity. The story doesn't end there.

Just hours after the Queen’s Speech, the Prime Minister was already doing one of his famous retreats. He refused David Cameron’s offer of help to pass new laws the public demand on expenses reform; instead he sat talking to Harriet Harman. Then, following criticism from Sir Christopher Kelly, he changed his mind and admitted new laws are needed. It's another total shambles from this failing government and failing prime Minister.

It also confirms what I have written here for some months; they still do not get it!

Queen's Speech

This week, we once again saw the Prime Minister put party before country. The Queen's Speech had one objective; save the Labour Party from electoral defeat. Gordon Brown had nothing to offer the country except a series of half-measures aimed at partisan point-scoring, which even Cabinet Ministers admitted was about playing politics not improving people’s lives.

What a shameful act by this failing government, which is out of steam, out of ideas, and hopefully soon, will be out of office. We don't need more of this desperate clinging to power; we need a general election.

Traffic chaos; we need the second bridge

The recent Silver Jubilee Bridge chaos experienced by local residents and businesses confirms my long-held view that we need the second bridge, and quick. I join Derek Twigg MP in his calls for the matter to be put beyond doubt by the Transport Secretary acting quickly to confirm approval for the project. The report of the Public Inquiry is due next month; I hope the people of Halton will not be left waiting on this vital issue.

A great year

A year ago today, I was selected as the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Halton.

It has been a huge honour and a real privilege to fulfil this role over the last twelve months. I am grateful for all the help and support I have received from local people and look forward to continuing to work with them to fight for the things that we care about; safer communities, better public services, more openness and honesty in politics, a fair deal on tolls for the new bridge, protection of Halton's greenbelt, and more besides, between now, the general election, and hopefully beyond.

I will continue to campaign with my Conservative colleagues in Halton, for the change that our borough and the country desperately needs.