Swine Flu

I have been watching the swine flu outbreak since it started. The rate of cases were doubling every seven days until figures stopped being published a week ago. There are now around 9,700 cases in the UK with the West Midlands being one of the highest affected.

I prepared a briefing for work recently as I am running a large IT programme. This does not look like being the mass killer similar to 1918 spanish flu that some feared. However it could debilitate 60% of the working population if it peaks all in one go, due to infection and those looking after family. Some estimates suggest it could impact economic recovery by 2 years. Of course that assumes there is a recovery, but that is another discussion.

I do know that the NHS in Warwickshire are very prepared for this

There is some good advice on the NHS website.
This will help you diagnose your symptoms and tell you what to do.
You should then phone your doctor who will be able to confirm your symptoms and tell you what to do. There are centres around the county that can distribute medication if needed.

I don't think there is cause for panic. Though I have already stocked up on Lemsip and Chicken Soup just in case.

UK Digital Road to Recovery - Good for Warwick & Leamington

Last Thursday I attended a meeting in Parliament organised by Eurim, a cross party group on the information society.We were discussing the recently published Digital Britain paper.

Anyone interested in IT and involved in the industry should read the management summary of this document, as it lays out the governments strategy for building our digital infrastructure. Why?

Isn't this just a collossal waste of tax payers money?

Well no. It will create jobs that will help stimulate the economy and it will leave us with the infrastructure Britain needs to compete in the 21st century economy and by applying IT to the delivery of public services we can get a better services, such as when we renew our tax disk and as tax payers we can make savings in public expenditure.

Warwick and Leamington are set to benefit from this. We have several large IT organisations & creative industries within our towns. We have the kind of towns that attract the skills to take advantage of this new economy.

Of course the interesting debate is, who will pay for all of this. My view is that private enterprise should be encouraged to build as much of this as possible. After all the internet has evolved soley through the private sector with little government involvement. Though where government needs to assist is with training the skills needed and investing in difficult to reach parts of the network.

Leamington Allotments Safe.

Just catching up on some of the local news. It seems Leamington Allotments are safe from development. Concern was raised when the 'options for growth' consultation placed one of the options for 10,800 new homes right across some of Leamington's fantastic allotments.

Allotment holders across Leamington mounted a solid campaign to oppose this option and it looks as though, in spite of the conservative led District Councils 'gagging order' forbidding local councillors who have suported the campaign from speaking and voting on the issue the allotment holders in Leamington have managed to protect their plots.

That is great news.

Lib-Dems push Labour into third place in Warwick & Leamington.

A momentous local election count at Stoneleigh today has left Labour floundering in Third place in the newly formed Warwick & Leamington constituency.

Labours support fell to 7% behind the Liberal Democrats close at the heels of the Conservatives who managed only a 3.6% lead on their Lib-Dem rivals.

I am delighted by the result. People have been telling me on the doorsteps that the state of the economy and the collapse of the government over the expenses scandal have played a major part in today’s result.

Vince Cable’s commentary on the economy and Nick Clegg’s call for a total reform of Westminster has shown that the Liberal Democrats are taking the lead on the serious issues we face in our country.

UKIP Myth about UK's £40M per day - They are simply making most of this up.

UKIP claims that EU membership costs the UK £40m per day. This is total rubbish. I took part in a debate at a local school in Coventry a few months back and the UKIP representative made many wild claims that I could not even find supported in their own literature. I suspect they are double accounting or simply making the figures up!

Here are the facts backed up by various public sources of information.

The UK does make a net contribution to the EU, which varies year on year, but this year each person in the UK contributes £67 a year, or £1.29 per week, or 18p a day to the EU budget.

Britain pays similar amounts into the budget as do other countries of Britain’s size and wealth. It is only right that Britain makes a budget contribution, as we take all the benefits of EU membership, such as the 3 million British jobs linked to trade with other EU countries.[1]

Government Spending and net EU budget contributions:

Government spending 2008-09: £623bn, net EU contribution: £3bn[2] Government spending 2009/10: £671bn[3], net EU contribution: £4.1bn[4] (i.e. 0.6% of total government spending)

[1] http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/europeandtrade/europe/benefits-eu-membership/page22676.html
[2] Chart 1.1, 'Pre-Budget Report 2008' http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/prebud_pbr08_repindex.htm
[3] Chart 1.1, (page 12) 'Budget 2009: Building Britain's Future' http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/Budget2009/bud09_completereport_2520.pdf
[4] Footnote 3 of Table C9 (page 238) ) 'Budget 2009: Building Britain's Future' http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/Budget2009/bud09_completereport_2520.pdf

Democracy should not be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Its not just expenses, the whole thing needs reforming. Let’s just remind ourselves what has happened in Parliament in very recent years.

Allegedly members of the House of Lords have been taking cash in order to influence legislation.

It appears as though Political parties have been taking donations in exchange for political favours and honours. (Cash for Honours)

MPs have allegedly been taking money to ask questions in parliament. (Cash for Questions)

Now Parliament is supposed to be where decisions and legislation is made on OUR behalf. Democracy is something we give to our elected representatives at the ballot box, a bond of trust. It is not to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

It has been suggested that MPs with the safer seats are more likely to have been caught up in expenses scandals.

So here are some reforms I would like to see.

- Reform of the House of Lords. No more cash for honours.
- Electoral Reform. No more cosy safe seats, every vote counts anywhere in the country.
- We should be able to sack our MPs for breaching the trust we put in them. No more shuffling off to the back benches (on £64K salary) only to come back a few years later when we have all forgotten.
- Yes MPs can incur and be reimbursed for their expenses, reasonable second homes and running constituency offices. However these rules should be industrial strength, like the rules I have in the company I work for and those most people in industry and the civil service work under. No more stately homes, helipads and duck islands.
- MPs should not set the rules for benefit of their own exclusive little club. There should be an independent body that sets the rules and standards for OUR benefit.

After all we give Parliament their power at the ballot box and we are the ones paying for it.

Its only because we are Jealous of MPs large houses it seems.

Tory grandee Anthony Steen claimed yesterday that he was the victim of "jealousy" among his Devon constituents who were envious of his large house. He said: "What right does the public have to interfere with my private life? None. You know what it's about? Jealousy. I've got a very, very large house."
Steen is clearly so out of touch with the constituents in his ‘safe’ seat, he may as well be living in a second home on Mars.
The public couldn’t care less about the size of his house…. It’s our having to pay for it and the 500 trees we had planted for him in its parkland we mind.

Picture - Steen's house and some of the trees we bought for him.

Bring back the Chartists.

These past few weeks has seen a bloodbath in Westminster over the MP’s expenses issue. What started off as the subject of office jokes with Labour MP’s claims for bath plugs and porn films has turned to anger as we saw elaborate ‘flipping’ of second homes to maximise claims. The Tories have taken this to a whole new level with claims for chandeliers and moat cleaning for their stately homes.

As tax payers we have a right to be angry. I have never had an issue with MPs claiming reasonable expenses. When I travel on business I do the same, some of my colleagues live in rented accommodation in Worcester during the week. Industry has managed to cope with the issue in a manner that reimburses employees for reasonable expenses whilst ensuring no one makes a profit. For a start the inland revenue would never allow it.

In Westminster there has developed a culture of expenses being the right of many MPs. A system has developed that is so lax that it was simply asking to be abused.

A couple of years ago I challenged James Plaskitt MP, in the Courier over his support to MPs exemption to the freedom of information act. James claimed this was to protect the privacy of constituents, a weak claim as constituents privacy was catered for in other ways. I suggested at the time that this was more to protect MPs from scrutiny over their expenses.

I sense this is part of a deeper malaise in British Politics. Since being closer to politics over the past few years as a Parliamentary Candidate I have seen a system that is rotten to the core. Where dodgy funding can buy political favours. Dirty politics to undermine the opposition. Spin and carefully managed leaks, sexed up dossiers to influence public opinion.

Our elected representatives at any level of government should not forget that they are simply that, elected by us, to represent us so that they can take decisions on our behalf, for the smooth running of our towns, areas and country. It is a position of trust and privilege. Recent behaviour shows many treat this with contempt, no wonder Politicians are held in such low esteem.

It is easy to feel disillusioned with all politics, yet British history shows a long tradition of reformers who have successfully challenged the system and corruption from the Magna Carter to the Anti War demonstrations a few years ago.

My Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Thomas Attwood, was one of the founders of the Birmingham Political Union which was foremost among Chartist groups lobbying the government for the passage of the Reform Bill.

Like today Politics in the 1830’s had become corrupt. The aim of the movement was to, "take effectual measures for correcting diverse abuses that have long prevailed..."

Talking to people over the past few weeks, campaigning for the county elections it is clear, people are so disillusioned with politics in this country that we need a radical new Reform Bill to clear out the rot and build a parliament fit to govern this country in the 21st Century.

Picture - Alan Beddow with the statue of his Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Thomas Attwood MP in Chamberlin Square, Birmingham.

Douglas Hogg MP - Moat Cleaning Expenses

I had thought I had heard it all about MP's expenses, but this week has plumbed new depths. Douglas Hogg, (who has his snout firmly in the trough) the former agriculture secretary, submitted a claim form for more than £2,000 for the moat around his country estate to be cleared. At tax payers expense.


What has become the subject of office jokes this week has turned into a farce. People I have spoken to over the past few weeks are angry that OUR tax payers money is being embezzled in this way, when schools are struggling for funding and there is a shortage of hospital beds.

Longbridge Roadworks Warwick

Each day as I go to work I drive past the new Longbridge Bypass roadworks on the A46 M40 junction. I am not sure whether this will make my journey to work any easier when it is finished. There can often be huge queues on the bypass, especially at rush hour.

I found this website this lunchtime with lots of information on the work, pictures, plans and views of what it will be like when it is finished.

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/4730.aspx

What the Liberal Democrats stand for.

For the Debate at North Leamington school this morning, I had a little homework to do. I was asked to speak for 3 minutes outlining what the Liberal Democrats stand for.

How do I describe what the Liberal Democrats stand for in just 3 minutes.

Well I would like to start by reading what it says on the back of my party card.

"The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of Liberty, equality and community and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity"

These are the principles which underpin all of our policies.

We believe in Free Market Economics,
Tempered by a sustainable outlook on the environment, financial security and sound social policies.

It is clear that if we have a society, with excellent schools and hospitals.
Good housing and facilities.
A world class transport system and infrastructure.
People will achieve the best from their skills and talents.

People will flourish within the framework of a free market
Which will generate wealth
And a fair system of taxation will pay for the social policies that create this climate of opportunity.

Our party and our policies are all about creating this balance.

We believe that government should start at the doorstep and work upwards
Rather than a nanny state looking down on us
Power should reside at the lowest possible level.

We are internationalist in our outlook
And believe institutions such as the UN and the European Union are essential in tackling the challenges we face in the 21st Century
Such as Climate Change, International Crime, third world poverty and the challenges of globalisation.
Though we would be the first to criticise these institutions and campaign for their reform.

We believe it is vital that we defend the rights and freedoms
That British people have fought for
and that have been held up as a model across the globe
rather than allow them to be eroded by a climate of fear.

We believe that by building a Free, Fair and sustainable society

We can ensure a prosperous future
Fit for the 21st Century
Respected by our neighbours
And built on the very best of British Traditions.

Question Time - North Leamington & Myton Schools. - Free Travel for Students?

I spent this morning taking part in a question time style debate with sixth formers from North Leamington and Myton Schools.

I enjoy taking part in these events and there was a broad range of questions covering subjects such as the Environment, the Economy, the 3rd Runway at Heathrow to Reform of the House of Lords.

One question that resonated with the audience was Free Bus Travel for Students. Ben Wesson who was previously the member of the Youth Parliament said that it cost £5.40 to get from Southam to Leamington. I wonder why we can have free bus travel for pensioners, yet students who often have less money do not in most parts of the country and yet it would make such a difference to their lives in terms of access to work, study and leisure.

Low Carbon Event at Wolseley - Its part in rebuilding the Economy.

I attended the Low Carbon Event this morning run by one of the areas leading employers, Wolseley and Lib-Dem run Leamington Town Council.

The event was held at Wolseley’s Sustainable Building Centre at Spa Park, which showcases the latest sustainable products and renewable technologies.

It is encouraging that we have a local employer developing and promoting these products. This is vital not only for the environment but also for economic recovery.

It is clear that we must invest our way out of the current economic crisis. There is a growing consensus amongst Political and Business leaders across the world that investment must put in place the infrastructure for the 21st Century economy. This will mean investment in digital infrastructure, transport and efficient use of sustainable energy.

The products I saw on display at Wolseley demonstrate how we can save energy in our own homes and how buildings can be constructed with significantly lower energy needs. It is certain that the economy of this century will be based around better use of energy. We can be proud that we have one of the leading suppliers of these products based here in Leamington.

Leamington Town Council is working towards transition town status, to reduce the carbon footprint of the town. Working with businesses such as Wolseley is good for our town, it is good for employment and it is good for our environment.

Why cant the Banks lend the £37 Billion to British Businesses that tax payers have already given them.

I am astounded that the Government is planning on risking more tax payers money to get banks to lend to British businesses. A disturbing number of small businesses are shutting down because the banks have pulled the rug from under their feet by withdrawing overdraft facilities that are essential to maintain their cashflow. Many of these businesses have solid order books and are needed if we are to rebuild our economy.

Haven't we already sunk £37 billion into our banks to get them lending again, what has happened to all of that! So why on earth should we risk a further £10 billion, just to get the banks to do what they promised to do in the first place. Surely the answer is to force them to keep lending the huge stake the Government already has in these banks to our healthy businesses and keep people in work.

More on Eco Towns

I spotted this in the Independent earlier in the week. It looks like the battle for the Eco towns is still on going. The article makes a good point about the true environmental impact on some of the planned towns due to their distance from employment and transport systems.

In principle I am in favour of eco towns, however the plans for the site near Stratford, stuck in the middle of the Warwickshire countryside and no plans to link up the transport system, would mean residents would have to jump in their cars to take their children to school and attend work.

What would make more of an impact would be Eco Developments in cities linked to public transport systems and close to all the services. Otherwise its nothing more than an excuse to build more houses in the greenbelt.

Investing rather than spending our way out of the crisis.

I was in Leamington at the weekend catching up on some Christmas shopping, looking on as shoppers picked over the bleached carcass of Woolworths who were now offering 60% off, no bailout for Woolworths.

Yet we have seen massive support for the banks while we see little relief for people who face loosing their homes, the same tax payers who funded the bailout before their jobs fell victim to the economy. At the same time the government is considering propping up the car industry so they can make cars no one can afford to buy.

I wonder whether we have got out priorities right. Yes we need to support jobs, but wouldn’t it be better to fund something we all need. We could spend the money on and extension to the High Speed rail network for example from London to the Midlands and North of England, providing a viable alternative to road and air travel. Or we could build the Severn Barrage that would generate the equivalent of Four Nuclear Power Stations which would make a significant contribution to reducing our carbon footprint and assist in our energy security.

If we are to spend our way out of this crisis, perhaps we should spend it one something that would create a legacy that could last decades and benefit us all.

Police State tackles live music!

I have just read about Form 696 on Facebook. This is a new regulation in London (perhaps coming to a venue near you). This is an appalling intrusion into the culture of music lovers in London which could threaten a thriving activity enjoyed by performers and audiences across the country. Just what the Police want with this information is anybodies guess. What about pubs such as my local frequented by many musicians in Warwick, where impromptu musical activity can happen at any moment. Under these new regulations would such a treat for patrons be banned.

This new piece of bureaucracy will force licensees to reveal a mass of information about performers. Publicans and managers of other small venues are forced to comply with a new piece of bureaucracy called Form 696.

The form demands that licensees give police a mass of detail, including the names, aliases, private addresses and phone numbers of all musicians and other performers appearing at their venue, and the ethnic background of the likely audience. (what happens if the form says they expect a 60% black or ethnic minority audience and only 50% turn up?)

Failure to comply could mean the loss of a licence or even a fine and imprisonment. It applies in 21 London boroughs, but professionals in the music business fear that if it becomes accepted, it will be copied in other cities. These new rules will make putting on live bands next to impossible for most small venues. An 'open mic' night could not happen under such rules.

Feargal Sharkey (singer of Teenage Kicks) is campaigning against the new rules - see below for more details.Please sign the petition on the 10 Downing Street website against 696. See here: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Scrapthe696/

I have many friends in the musical community in Warwick & Leamington and oppose these measures fully! I will be lobbying my Parliamentary colleagues to get this intrusion into the very fabric of our society stopped.

Save Leamington Allotments - Welly Walk

This afternoon I took part in the ‘Welly Walk’ organised by BLAST (Bring Leamington Allotment Societies Together) to continue our campaign to protect Leamington’s allotments and to protect the greenbelt to the north of the town.

This is in response to Warwick District Councils ‘Options for Growth’ consultation document that placed some of the arrows on their map directly across some of Leamington’s popular allotments. This has naturally raised concern amongst allotment holders who do not want to see their allotments, many who have tended their plots for decades bulldozed to make way for housing.

I visited Binswood Allotments earlier this year and saw for myself what a fantastic source of healthy recreation these plots are. In fact these facilities are in such demand amongst such a cross section of people that there is a waiting list of almost 200 people. Leamington Town Council (Lib-Dem Run) has said that it would support the case for more allotments. You can read the full Town Council proposal here.

There is more at stake here, as green spaces such as our Cricket Pitches, back garden’s and green belt to the north of the town are also under pressure from developers.

The crisis in the housing market does not mean the threat has gone away and plans to be discussed at the District Council will determine where thousands of houses may be built over the next 20 years.

So that is why campaigns such as those organised by the Allotment Holders is so important. Decisions taken now will have an impact to the character of the towns in our District for decades to come.

My personal view and the view of the Lib-Dem’s in Warwick & Leamington is that development should not be at the expense of the facilities in our town. In fact is there is development on the scale proposed we will need more facilities, more allotments so we can maintain our towns as great places to live.

So in spite of the icy weather and the mud, well over 100 of us spent this afternoon walking along the green belt that is at risk. We had a short pause for some speeches before we returned via some of the allotments.

We should not build on the Green Belt to the north of Warwick & Leamington for two important reasons. It forms a natural barrier between our towns and Kenilworth and Coventry to the north, halting the urban sprawl. The area to the north is stunning Warwickshire countryside along the course of the Avon (a flood plain) dotted with little villages. The choice is clear, Urban Sprawl or Stunning Countryside!

Obama

Last night the United States elected their first sensible president for over eight years. I really feel there was a sense of optimism across the world this morning. What America needs is someone who will restore this nations standing in the world. I have watched Obama during the course of the campaign, he is a fantastic speaker and I really feel his policies are needed to meet the challenges America faces today.

Warwick School

This afternoon I visited Warwick School to speak at the sixth form afternoon assembly. I briefly spoke about what Liberal Democrats stand for and where we sit in the political landscape. I kept this short as I wanted to spend more time answering questions and talking about what the boys wanted to talk about.

The questions asked were excellent and at times tough, covering a range of subjects from the economy, immigration, Europe, taxation, the balance between a free market & social policies and electoral reform.

I left some information containing a set of websites that the boys might like to look at and have posted them below.

www.liberalyouth.org
warwick-leamington-libdems.org.uk
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=655215257
www.politicalcompass.org
alan-beddow.blogspot.com
Email - alan_beddow@yahoo.co.uk