This week

I had a series of meetings and calls this week, including discussions on local policing, the Mersey Gateway, the work of carers within the constituency, the new Council Tax rise, and a number of concerns about local planning developments. As ever I am struck by the hard work and dedication of our local Conservative Councillors. I look forward to continuing to work with them on these and other issues on behalf of the people of Halton.

Ivan Cameron

David Cameron and his whole family are in my thoughts and prayers today on the loss of their son, Ivan. I have written to David this morning and offered my condolences on behalf of Halton Conservatives and all the people of Halton.

Support for the Mersey Gateway- Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

Mersey Gateway- Halton Conservatives' position

Please see below the text of a letter I have sent today to our local media in Halton:

Following recent commentary and debate on the Mersey Gateway project, I am writing to set out Halton Conservatives' position on this important issue.

We fully support the project which we believe is vital for the continued economic development and regeneration of Halton and the surrounding area. We regret that the government is failing to fund the bridge in the way that it does with similar infrastructure projects in other parts of the country. However, our position is realistic in that we recognise that in these circumstances, without tolls, there will not be a new bridge.

The key now is to ensure that we deliver the best deal for the people of Halton. We will campaign for the lowest possible tolls so that Halton residents who need to use the bridges every day to drive to work,school, or to support their families, have a fair deal.

Halton Conservatives will be using the public inquiry and every other opportunity to put this case on behalf of the people of Halton.

Commission on Transport in the North

William Hague has launched the Conservative Party's Commission on Transport for the North of England which will identify the area's transport priorities. The Commission, established by the Northern Board of the Conservative Party, will be headed by Peter Mileham, a senior businessman from Yorkshire. The Commission's membership reflects a wealth of business and transport experience.

Launching the Commission in Leeds, William Hague, Chairman of the Northern Board, said: “For eleven years of this Labour Government, we have had much talk about investment in the infrastructure of the North of England but little delivery. Only this month we had road widening schemes cancelled and plans for a High-Speed Rail line that stops halfway to the North.

Commenting, Conservative PPC for Halton, Ben Jones said: “We will work closely with the Commission to ensure that the transport priorities and needs of the people of Halton are fully represented. We will ensure that on key projects, such as the Mersey Gateway, the people's voice is heard. "

You can’t have it both ways

The Prime Minister continues to want to have it both ways; claiming the Conservatives want to "do nothing" whilst at the same time trying to copy our ideas to get Britain out of this Labour recession. Take a look at the list below and see whether you think this is a plan to "do nothing".

We will:

• Abolish income tax on savings for basic rate taxpayers and raise the pensioners' personal allowance by £2,000 to £11,490.
• Get credit flowing and save jobs with a £50 billion National Loan Guarantee Scheme.
• Help small businesses with cash flow by delaying VAT bills for six months.
• Freeze council tax for two years by cutting wasteful Government spending.
• Get companies hiring again through reducing employment costs for small businesses by cutting National Insurance, and through a tax break for new jobs.

It is surely time he focused less on mis-representing the Conservative Party and more on getting us out of this economic mess.

Britain's unsung heroes

Fiona Phillip's moving story of her family battles with Alzheimer's reminds us of the incredible work done by Britain's 6 million carers- many of whom do not consider themselves to be doing anything more than their family or community duty. Those of us who have experience of caring for loved ones know how hard it is to get the help and support you need, and how isolating the experience can be.

I have long been a supporter of Crossroads (http://www.crossroads.org.uk); an organisation committed to improving the lives of carers by giving them time to be themselves and a break from their caring responsibilities. In their first year of operation in 1974, Crossroads supported just 28 families. Today Crossroads consists of approximately 150 member schemes throughout England and Wales. Over 4.6 million care hours are provided every year to more than 35,000 carers - the equivalent of over 525 years of care.

Organisations like Crossroads deserve our, and the government's support. I am proud that David Cameron has committed the next Conservative government to passionately support the volunteer sector in Britain, recognising the outstanding contribution they make in our country.

Dad's Nose. Mum's Eyes. Gordon Brown's Debt

I know from speaking to people in Halton and elsewhere over recent weeks that they are very concerned, not just about their jobs and homes, but about the mountain of debt built up by this government. The Conservative Party has this week launched a poster campaign to highlight this terrible legacy that will be handed on to our children, and our children's children by, Gordon Brown and his failing, irresponsible government.

Real help, not PR

It is good to see the North West getting plenty of political media attention this week. I am convinced however that the people of the North West would be more welcoming of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet if instead of expensive and PR-motivated visits (paid for by local people), he was taking real action to help the millions of people hit by the economic downturn. Wasting £12 billion on VAT changes that haven't worked does not count.

Europe

I recently received an email asking for my views on Britain's membership of the European Union and in particular it was put to me that membership of the EU was immoral and that our continued membership would "severely impoverish the British economy". I have included my reply below:

Many thanks for your email. I appreciate you taking the trouble to write to me. I suspect my reply will not be to your liking, but I believe you are entitled to a straight and honest response.

As you indicated in your email, the Conservative Party supports Britain's continued membership of the European Union. We believe in an open, flexible Europe in which countries work together to achieve shared goals, not the ever greater centralisation of power in Brussels. We believe that the European Union should continue to reform itself to ensure it gives taxpayers across Europe the best possible value for money.

I entirely support my Party's position on the European Union and believe that the benefits of our membership of the European Union far outweigh the downsides.