So what is there left to say? A Pre-Budget Report that was supposed to put us on the right economic track instead sought to put Labour on what it hopes is an electoral path that will skirt oblivion. Why else do you think Gordon Brown has started all his comments on the PBR by emphasising how much benefits and pensions will still be going up. Of course, he doesn’t say that will be swallowed up by the 2.5% increase in VAT. Anyone earning £20k or more will face a National Insurance hike – a tax on jobs. The Government claims the public services are protected, but that NI rise will mean hospitals, schools and the police having to fork out more on existing staff, and makes it harder to employ more. This is a strategy to get the Labour heartlands to vote in the forlorn hope they will forget the abolition of the 10p rate. Never forget.
Whilst all that was going on, I had a date at the Sixth Form College for a Question Time as part of Equality & Respect Week. We had a Labour councillor who seemed so embarrassed about the Government he spent all his time attacking it (a novel tactic), my new LibDem opponent (who not only hasn’t bothered to announce his selection to the wider world, but who also had to ask me where the constituency boundary was - low quality threshold obviously for LibDems round here!), the usual suspect from UKIP (who, as we have heard him say in the past, would rather Labour wins if he doesn’t!) as well as two more worthwhile contributors – Rabbi David Braunold from the United Hebrew Congregation and Rev Dr Murphy from the Church of England parish in Layton.
The questions were probably of a better quality than some of the politicians’ answers. Focus was on the economy, immigration (understandable given it was Equality Week) and the role of religion in the public sphere. I was pleased we managed to avoid the party politicking Question Times often become – Dr Murphy made sure we lifted our eyes to the horizons! We all got grilled on climate change for the student magazine afterwards.
I hope the students felt it a worthwhile exchange of views and that we generated as much light as heat. Most importantly, I hope that they all go out and vote – whomsoever they vote for.
Hello, and thanks for visiting my site! As the Conservative MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys, my job is to serve the interests of my constituents and represent their concerns in Westminster. Hopefully, my website will bring you a little bit closer to what is happening and how you can get involved. Find out about where I stand on the things that affect us locally and how you can share your thoughts with me by using the links at the top of the page. I look forward to hearing from you!