Yesterday I visited Compton Hospice and met with Ron Middleton (Chief Executive) and Gerard Paris (financial Trustee). The Hospice comprises a purpose built in-patient unit, day centre and education unit. It also provides a multi-disciplinary team approach to palliative care to help patients, relatives and carers. The vast majority of the patients never come to the Hospice but receive care at home.

After spending most of the morning at the hospice we then went over to the  lymphoedema unit. The lymphoedema service sees many children and adults who suffer from this condition and does a wonderful job.

I can sincerely say that I got a fantastic insight into the workings of Compton Hospice and an appreciation of the phenomenal work done by all members of staff.  The most poignant moment of the day related to a conversation I had with a patient called Mary. When I walked into the room she smiled broadly at me and said “ what a wonderful day, I’ve just been given the all clear on my cancer”. I won’t go into the finer details of our subsequent ten minute chat, but it’s conservations like these which make you value the really important things in life and help to put our priorities in perspective. 

Paul

Having been a prospective parliamentary candidate for just under one and half years now I felt compelled, after the recent vote by MPs to retain their allowances for a second home, to offer my two pence worth. Wolverhampton currently has three labour MPs and I’ve watched and listened to them as they’ve attended various functions over the last eighteen months. The standard responses are handed out carefully tailored to the nuance of each audience. It’s particularly acute with the Labour MP I’m up against because he’s sitting on such a small majority. The result is that I see him deliver a speech at a Hindu Temple shamefully chastising British imperialism for raping India of her wealth yet at the same time portraying himself as patriotic, proud of Britain’s heritage and almost jingoistic at a Tettenhall coffee morning. Left wing or right wing he’ll put on the appropriate political coat to suit the weather. Having seen these Parliamentarians in action I am convinced that we need to drastically reduce the number of MPs at Westminster.

The vast majority of the surgery work can be covered by local government representatives and you end with absurd situation of many MPs carrying on as super councillors, postal redirection providers or amateur social workers. It’s often said to me as I turn up to various events “The MP will be along in a minute, I know that because he’ll turn up at the opening of an envelope”. So much for the grand idea of the constituency being represented at Westminster and our elected representatives debating the big ideas of the day. It’s more a case of an over powerful executive utilising the voting fodder in the legislature to meet it’s own needs. You can just imagine our previous Prime Minister, buoyed by his large majorities, instructing his backbenchers (via the whips office, of course) to turn up if anything serious needed voting on, but to otherwise nurse the marginal seat along. Coupled with this of course is the fact that so many MPs have little experience of real life and are in fact career politicians.

The vote on MPs allowances and expenses illustrates the problem pertinently and compounds the discontent many now express towards the body politic. By reducing the number of MPs you would reduce the power of the executive, as you lessen the prospect of untouchable majorities, and save the taxpayer money in the process. One hundred forty labour MPs voted to keep the allowances and expenses system as it is (including the member for Wolverhampton South west) which displays an arrogance and contempt towards ordinary voters who are struggling to make ends meet. After eighteen months and from my current perspective I can only conclude that there are too many of these characters happily maintaining the status quo, claiming expenses and pampering their egos. If I were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to represent the public at Westminster, even if it meant me losing my own seat we need to revisit this issue, and yes this turkey would vote for Christmas.

Paul

A few weeks ago I attended a Tenants and Residents meeting in Castlecroft. During the visit Paul Stoddart (deputy headteacher) invited me to spend an afternoon at Smestow school and last week I took him up on his kind offer.  Paul had arranged for me to meet with about a dozen students to discuss issues relating to the curriculum, school discipline and the support they receive from their families. 

The school has a wonderful ethos and I was struck by the candidness and confidence expressed by all the children I spoke to. At a time of increasing concern about knife crime, with relations between differing age groups appearing to be more fractious, it’s vital to maintain a dialogue between teenagers, teachers and parents. Special thanks to Paul and all the staff for allowing me to gain an insight into the school’s workings.

Paul

It is with particular sadness  I recently heard that James McGrath (Chief of staff to our previous Chairman) has been pushed out of his job with Boris Johnson.  Accusations of racism have been levelled against him as a few words have been taken out of context and jumped upon by the PC brigade. I’ve met James on numerous occasions and found him to be a warm, witty and charming individual. As someone who prides himself as being fairly astute at spotting such things, I am wholly convinced that he does not possess a racist bone in his body.

Rather he appears to be the victim of the McCarthyistic mouth foaming utterances of the race relations industry, which through accusation alone can slay political careers and stifle well intentioned and principled debate. I say this because I have seen with my very own eyes the modus operandi of this circus, employing individuals to perpetuate this climate of political correctness. In reality this industry/business does dreadful damage to Britain’s race relations. It seems more concerned with securing it’s own funding streams and non jobs for it’s membership of zealots. The cost of this is all is so much more than financial, as we lose decent people and gag those who point to the emperor’s new clothes.

Paul

I recently met with the Wolverhampton Pensioners’ group. We discussed issues from Iraq to local housing. In particular concerns were raised about the cost of living and the difficulties almost all of us now face in making ends meet.

Perhaps they should take advice from Transport Minister Tom Harris  who has claimed that the credit crunch is over-hyped and  that crime has been reduced. He even goes on to ask ”why is everybody so bloody miserable?” and states that the public is prone to moaning. Yesterday I spent over £ 70.00 filling up on a tank of diesel. 

Almost every time I’m at the forecourt now you end up chatting to people who are being pushed to the financial edge in relation to basic necessities that they can’t do without. Some of these ministers need to get out in the real world and away from their Westminster bubble.

Paul.  

Following on from a police patrol visit over Christmas, I recently went out on a Friday night / early Saturday morning with Inspector John Smith. I thought it would be a good idea to see exactly what goes on in the centre of Wolverhampton on a Friday night.

Again we spoke about the public wishing to see an increased Police presence and a confirmation that officers want to do the job they joined the force to do, and not be tied down by bureaucracy and paperwork. Inspector Smith particularly emphasised the importance of dialogue and his wish that the police be constantly involved in discussions with politicians, locally and nationally.

How appalling it is to see a Labour government unwilling to backdate police pay, which was recommend by an independent body and would have cost the government 40 million pounds.  It is all the more galling for police officers to have then witnessed the Prime Minister approve a loan of 2.7 billion pounds of our own money, to raise personal tax allowances (for one year only! ) in an attempt to save the Crewe by-election.  To govern through such a short term prism, to set policy to meet the political objectives of the Labour party and indeed to so spectacularly fail in these aims points to a tired, vacuous and incompetent leadership. It really is time for a change. 

Paul.

GMTV have been running a series of articles this week covering the benefits culture in the UK. They focused on Rochdale and the articles ran just after the 6.30.a.m. news (I’m normally making the children’s sandwiches for school). The theme constantly highlighted throughout the programme was one relating to a poverty of ambition. Faced with a global market place of skilled workers many people with good intentions felt disenfranchised, marginalised and unable to compete. 

Particularly depressing was the inheritance of a poverty ambition, passed down from one generation to the next (almost caste like). A very close relative of mine used to be on the Board of Visitors to prisons in the Midlands. Governors regularly remarked that prison was often the first time that inmates experienced a structure to their lives. Getting up on time, eating regularly, taking on a sense of responsibility.  Far too many children in the GMTV clips were falling into the same trap outlined above and consoling themselves with the thought that there were no jobs out there for the likes of them.

In the last ten years billions of pounds have been spent on addressing the issue of getting young people into work with the result that even more young people under the age 21 are now not involved in employment or education. The solution lies at home and in the classroom. The simple stuff of supporting the family, supporting school teachers, especially when they strive to impose discipline would be a huge step in the right direction. From these small steps we can release individual potential and ambition, because human aspiration is the most important tool in eradicating poverty and not the prosaic approach of targets and funding.

Paul

For the last two months the Conservative group and all activists have been focusing on the local elections, so apologises for me keeping quiet recently. The results speak for themselves:

1.  Council composition when I was selected 14 months ago, 40 Labour Councillors, 15 Conservative Councillors.

2. Council composition today, 28 Labour Councillors, 27 Conservative Councillors.

The Conservative share of the vote across Wolverhampton was nearly 49% of the popular vote, with Labour down on 34 %.  No spin, no hype, just plain simple facts.

Paul

Last week Eric Pickles (Member of Parliament for Brentwood & Ongar and Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government) visited the ambulance station on the corner of Penn road and Marston road. We had a chance to speak with Steve Perry and Mark Mclauchlan who described the difficulties that many crews now face in terms of dealing with members of the public who are often obstructive, even when they’re trying to provide aid to friends and family. We were joined by councillors Barry Findlay and Paddy Bradley.

Paul

Following on from the Westminster visit by Wolverhampton community leaders last April, Damian Green the MP for Ashford and Shadow Minister for Immigration visited Wolverhampton today as promised last year.

 We met with community leaders and then had a quick chance to speak with businessmen and legal specialists. Damian stated, ”Today’s return meeting was promised when I met with Wolverhampton Community leaders in Westminster last April. We discussed the Government’s proposals on Immigration which will not address the real problems that all communities now face because Labour have allowed immigration to get out of control for the last ten years”.

Paul