Bring on 2009!

2009 is a hugely important year for our country. More than any other time in the last 20 years Britain needs strong, clear, and responsible leadership as we face into the uncertainties of the economic downturn. Britain needs a government with the right judgment to tackle these challenges and the long term answers to sort out the mess we are in. Britain needs change.

We in the Conservative Party must continue to put the case for change in our country. We must continue to work hard to win the trust of the people we seek to serve. I am looking forward to playing my part in Halton and giving the people of Runcorn, Widnes and Hale the representation they deserve.

2009 is also a hugely important year for me personally as I am getting married. I cannot wait.

Bring it on!

Congratulations Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett's knighthood stands out in today's Honours list. Although he has received the award for his hugely successful writing career (I must confess to never having read any of his books- sorry Terry!), I am delighted for him having been moved by his campaign for more research into Alzheimer's disease, after he was diagnosed with the illness in 2007. His speech at Party Conference this year was one of my highlights of 2008. In that speech he announced a donation he had made to the Alzheimer's Research Trust and challenged us all to "match it for Pratchett"- that would be a good new year's resolution for us all.

Merry Christmas

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all readers of my blog a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Time for some honesty

We should not be surprised that the Prime Minister ends the year as he has spent much of it; blaming others for his government's failings. In today's monthly press conference Gordon Brown continued to peddle the nonsense that the economic problems we face in Britain are solely created by a global, or American, phenomena. Once again he is treating the British people like fools; we can all see how ill-prepared Britain is for this crisis with our crippling national debt, the reckless approach he has adopted to the public finances, and the failure of his own financial regulatory regime.

Rather than acting like he has saved the world, I suggest our Prime Minister would be better served by speaking frankly and honestly with us about how he and his government left Britain so exposed to the recent economic downturn. Like the addict who will not admit he has a problem, the Prime Minister has no chance of finding real solutions for Britain until he faces up to the real problems we have in the economy.

I strongly recommend readers add the article below to their Christmas reading:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3703785/Gordon-Brown-must-blame-himself-not-the-USA.html

Why we should care about the Damien Green affair

I am struck by the number of people saying "politicians are spending too much time talking about Damien Green- how does this affect me?".

I believe it is absolutely vital for the preservation of the rights we all enjoy living in our great country that we have people standing up and being counted on this issue. This is not an issue of Party, but an issue of principle. Of course, no MP, and no office or property, should be above or outside the reach of the law- I don’t incidentally hear anyone arguing for that. But the right of MPs to question governments of all colours and bring to the attention of the public information that is the national interest which the government is suppressing because it is embarrassing needs to protected at all costs.

The information leaked from the Home Office was not compromising national security but giving the public information it had a right to have. The day we don’t have officials and MPs standing up for us all in this way is a sad day for our free society. To most people this is an open and shut case.