Weekly News- Massive thumbs-down to Gordon’s failing regime

http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.uk/runcorn-widnes-news/runcorn-widnes-local-news/2009/06/11/massive-thumbs-down-to-gordon-s-failing-regime-55368-23836062/

LAST week, Britain gave it’s damning verdict on this failing Labour Government.
I was in Halton during the week and found the mood on the doorstep one of anger and disappointment; it’s clear that the people of Halton are furious about the behaviour of MPs in Westminster and want a General Election to have their say.

It is also clear that the results were a disaster for Gordon Brown and the Labour Party. This is their worst election performance since the war. We need a General Election now so that the country gets the change it needs.

I’m looking forward to continuing to campaign in Halton in the build up to next May’s important local elections, and between now and whenever the Prime Minister finds the courage to call a General Election.

In last week’s elections, the Conservatives won as many votes as Labour and the Liberal Democrats put together. We are the only party with an MEP in every region of the UK.
We came first, increased our vote share and were 13% ahead of Labour. We performed well right across the country, topping the polls in every English region apart from the North East, and beating Labour in Wales for the first time ever.

We are ready for the General Election, whenever it is called.

BEN JONES
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Halton

Election results

Last week, Britain gave it's damning verdict on this failing Labour Government.

I was in Halton during the week and found the mood on the doorstep one of anger and disappointment; it was clear that the people of Halton are furious about the behaviour of MPs in Westminster and want a General Election to have their say. It is also clear that the results were a disaster for Gordon Brown and the Labour Party. This is their worst election performance since the war. We need a general election now so that the country gets the change it needs.

I am looking forward to continuing to campaign in Halton in the build up to next May's important local elections, and between now and whenever the Prime Minister finds the courage to call a General Election.

In last week's elections the Conservatives won as many votes as Labour and the Liberal Democrats put together. We are the only party with an MEP in every region of the UK. We came first, increased our vote share and were thirteen per cent ahead of Labour. We performed well right across the country, topping the polls in every English region apart from the North East, and beating Labour in Wales for the first time ever. We are ready for the General Election; whenever it is called.

Election day in Halton

I spent yesterday in Halton; talking to voters as they went to the polls. We will see how the results unfold across the country over the next few days, but one thing was clear to me; the people of Halton are very angry about the behaviour of MPs in Westminster and want a General Election to have their say.

D Day commemorations

This weekend marks the 65th anniversary of the D Day landings of 1944. It is fitting, the day after we voted in free elections around this country, that we take time to remember the great sacrifices made by so many to keep us free from tyranny. I will be thinking of my grandfather this weekend and all of his brave comrades for all they did for us.

I will also be thinking of the incredible sacrifices being made by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and their courageous families, who carry a heavy burden on our behalf.

Four reasons to vote Conservative this week........

• To make Gordon Brown change his mind and give us the referendum on the EU Constitution he promised.
• To vote for change - if you're sick of Gordon Brown's hopeless Government and Labour's Debt Crisis, this is your chance to show it.
• To support our plans to improve the NHS, for better school discipline, and to free our police from bureaucracy so they can get out and fight crime.
• To tell Gordon Brown we want a General Election - now!

Election week

This week, Britain will elect 72 MEPs and 2318 councillors. These elections are the first electoral opportunity for the British people to send a message to all of us involved in politics that we must do better.

I will be in Halton during the week to continue to campaign on behalf of our MEP candidates and to meet with local people to discuss key local issues, including the vitally-important ongoing Mersey Gateway Public Enquiry (as well as how we can rebuild trust in politics, continuing my pledges on openness and expenses).

This week's elections are also an opportunity to put further pressure on Gordon Brown to call a general election. The country needs an election to give it's verdict on this incompetent government and morally bankrupt Members of Parliament.

ConservativeHome picked up my "openness" pledge

ConservativeHome has today picked up on my pledge on "openness"- please click on the link below to follow the story.

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2009/05/i-wont-even-claim-for-a-packet-of-hobnobs.html

Further pledge on "openness"

The recent controversy over MP's expenses and allowances has raised fundamental questions about the openness and transparency of MPs, and how their relate to their employers; the electorate. Abuses of the system by many MPs has seriously undermined the public's trust and confidence in the entire political system. As far as I'm concerned, politics and politicians need to change.

Today, I am making a further "openness" pledge to the people of Halton; setting out further actions I would take (alongside my pledge on expenses http://benjaminjohnjones.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-expenses-pledge-to-voters-of-halton.html) to do my job as their MP.

I will continue to build on this pledge based on feedback as I believe it is vital that candidates and MPs listen to the electorate and respond accordingly if trust is to be rebuilt between voter and representative.

If I were to become the MP for Halton I would:
- Publish online my full voting, attendance, and speaking records from the House of Commons (and all written questions tabled and motions signed)
- Publish online a diary which details where I spent each day (and night) so that the people of Halton can see where I am working on their behalf
- Regularly update my website/blog so anyone can see what I work have been doing
- Publish contact details which include an "out of office hours" number so that constituents could contact me out of normal work hours
- Publish online my annual tax return/details of all my income (including any other jobs/paid appointments/work etc)
- Conduct regular polls/questionnaires of my constituents to find out their views on key issues- this help me decide how to vote in the House of Commons
- Hold regular surgeries at different times and locations in the constituency so it is convenient for my constituents
- Hold regular public meetings to discuss key issues concerning the people of Halton and account for my performance on their behalf- I would not make speeches at this meeting, but take questions and spend my time listening

The people of Halton have a right to know how I would behave as their MP, as I would work for them.

Weekly News- Conservative prospective parlimentary candidate says MPs have ‘alot of work to do’

http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.uk/runcorn-widnes-news/runcorn-widnes-local-news/2009/05/21/conservative-prospective-parlimentary-candidate-says-mps-have-alot-of-work-to-do-55368-23671851/

BEN Jones, the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Halton, said MPs have a mountain to climb to regain public trust in the wake of the expenses scandal.
Last week he delivered a five-point pledge to the electorate if he were elected to office.

He told the Weekly News this week: “The issue of MPs’ expenses continues to dominate the news and rightly raises serious questions about the culture of Westminster politics. I continue to despair that a number of MPs are still talking about the ‘rules’ and ‘the system’ rather than what is right and wrong.

“As I’ve said previously, we need a culture change in politics, which ensures that MPs claim only costs they legitimately incur to serve their constituents; not what they are ‘entitled’ to claim. We’ve been very badly let down by a number of MPs. I share the public anger over this shameful behaviour.

“My party wants to put responsibility at the heart of our society, we want to put thrift at the heart of our Government. So we’ve got to live by those values in politics and in Parliament.

“I’m glad to see that a number of candidates and MPs have made pledges on expenses and allowances to their electorates. I made my expenses pledge in March. I’m committed to playing my part in helping rebuild trust in politicians and politics, which has been shaken by this crisis. We have a lot of work to do!”

ConservativeHome picked up my expenses pledge

ConservativeHome has today picked up on my (and other candidates') pledges on expenses- please click on the link below to follow the story.

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2009/05/tory-candidate-simon-hoare-sets-out-his-code-of-conduct-on-expenses.html