Instead, the rain clearly fell on Saturday instead, meaning the groundsman at Bloomfield Road were out with the forks trying to aid drainage so the pitch was not waterlogged and the game called off. This was my first time seeing Blackpool in the Championship, and from my seat in the stands, it was clear Cardiff were no Man Utd or Chelsea! Blackpool battled hard, and endured an onslaught on goal times, to get a well-deserved point. Cliched as it is, ‘they all add up’ – and what we would not have given for an extra point or two last season!

The week has been a busy one – but then I always say that, so it is becoming rather unnecessary. Monday’s big event for most MPs was the release of the new parliamentary boundaries. I have tried to keep this in perspective, so will not embark on a massive expostulation of the micro-psephological impact of ward X moving to constituency Y. But I do want to make clear to all my existing constituents that nothing will change until the next General Election, and that we just at the start of a long process. I was elected to represent Blackpool North & Cleveleys, and if I am your MP, I will remain so until you get the chance to vote again! So don’t feel confused, or think you need to now write elsewhere. If I have been your MP, I still am.

One big issue that came to the fore for me this week (again) was community transport and the future of Dial-a-Ride here in Blackpool. I am a great fan of both ideas, and it was disappointing that diary clashes meant I couldn’t attend the AGM. But I took the opportunity offered to have a letter read out where I expressed my disappointment that the Council was once again looking at whether to renew their funding. To me, this is a vital service which we simply can’t afford to dispense with. Indeed, I would go further, and make the point that I believe all demand-responsive community transport services should be covered by the concessionary fare card scheme. If you are affluent, and can use a bus, you can use your pensioner’s free bus pass. If you’re infirm, and can’t use a normal bus but need Dial-a-Ride, you can’t. That just doesn’t seem fair – in the full meaning of the word – to me, and I think the Government needs to tidy up that unfairness. Parliamentary opportunities to raise this are on the horizon, so I shall be speaking out.

Another Blackpool highlight was the publication of the Equalities & Human Rights Commission’s report into disability hate crime, which local campaigner Stephen Brookes had such a hand in, and where Bispham High School is the only school to get a mention!  It is a real issue, and a very complex one. I’m not always the EHRC’s biggest fan – but in terms of ensuring equality for those with disabilities in a society that often finds it easier to do the opposite, I think they are on the right path. Stephen is an excellent campaigner, and I am sure he will continue his efforts! Stephen spoke at the All-Party Disability Group on Wednesday of last week, and we had an excellent discussion about the practicalities of hate crime. Blackpool’s Third-Party Reporting Centre opens next month – so another milestone on the way.

Local business Ai Claims Solutions took the opportunity to drop by Westminster last week to see me and discuss the ongoing issue of sky-high car insurance prices, and the Transport Select Committee’s investigations. We had a fascinating discussion about how the insurance market will change, and the impact of telematics on an insurance industry often suspicious of change. Ai have never been afraid of challenging the established consensus (glad to hear it) and there are also other firms like Young Marmalade (www.youngmarmalade.co.uk) that have innovative solutions for bringing the cost of motor insurance for new drivers down sharply. Telematics is a way of monitoring driving habits, and bad drivers will find their premiums going up!

Other highlights included attending the inaugural Open Europe meeting for Conservative backbenchers who want to see a tougher line on our relations with Europe in this time of instability. I also had a good few speaking engagements in Battersea, Manchester, as well as addressing the Canal Zoners Reunion here in Blackpool, who have a successful partnership with Bispham High School.

The team in the office are friendly and very helpful in aiding me with work and tasks that I am set for the day. Not only this but they make the working environment very pleasant and make me feel as part of the team. Sometimes I feel the work we receive throughout the day may never end but when working with the team; the worries disappear due to the interesting topics of conversation we have whilst aiming to reach our goals and objectives.

The type of work on which I have started on, is basic filing, and typing up letters to be sent off to whom they concern. This may seem like an easy task to complete but it is important to ensure that the files go into the right place in case they are called upon again, and as for typing up the letters, it is most important to input the correct information to be sent to the correct correspondent. When there is a very important issue raised within the office I feel that my input is just as important as another member of the teams. However I feel that within a few weeks of training I feel that I could help out more with trying to work out how to solve any cases we receive.

I feel I will gain lots of new experience and skills from this role in the office and will gain a wider understanding of politics and how the processes of making a change happen. This also helps me understand the time it takes to make sure everything possible can be done to help. I think what I have learned in my first few days is that it’s important to keep a fresh mind on things and don’t get over worked as you can and will be likely to make mistakes, which in any case is never a good thing. My overall view of this new opportunity is that I will gain lots more knowledge and skills on many different areas throughout a business and will become a better team member by working in the office of Paul Maynard MP.

The UK’s budget deficit this year will top 11% of GDP compared to the 6% deficit when the country went bankrupt in 1976. If we don’t act on this problem now, then within five years Britain will be paying out £70 billion per year on debt interest alone. This figure is more than we spend on education, policing and defence. The current debt interest is £42 billion which is more than is currently spent annually on defence. This means we owe £15,010 for every man, woman and child in the country, which is more than £32,457 for every person that is currently in employment. On top of this every household will have to pay £1,839 a year just to cover the interest. These damning statistics prove the theory that all Labour Governments end in economic failure.

It is now up to the Coalition Government to clean up Britain’s economic problems. While one party created the mess, our two parties have come together to deal with it.

It is also worth remembering why these measures had to take place.  Labour had overspent and wasted billions of pounds.  The action taken sets the country on course to reduce the debt significantly over the course of this parliament.  Until the structural deficit is reduced this country will constantly be hobbled by the debt.

The long term cut in Corporation Tax will stimulate the private sector, creating jobs and wealth.  This will lift people out of poverty and make work pay.

All in all, it’s a fair budget that tackles the structural problems with the economy, while protecting many lower income families in Blackpool and Cleveleys, supporting the  tourism industry by scrapping Labour’s furnished holiday lettings tax, establishing a regional growth fund for transport projects but also redressing Labour’s out of control spending and borrowing spree.

Many policyholders’ later life plans have been seriously destroyed by the collapse of the company. The collapse happened under the very noses of those whose job it was to regulate such products.  Reviews and investigations from 2000 onwards have concluded that maladministration was to blame and that appropriate recompense needed paying.  However, Labour dragged its feet and offered derisory payments to policyholders. At last, Conservatives have the chance to implement the compensation we have long called for.

The Treasury is drawing up a bill to put before the House of Commons which will see an independent commission award appropriate compensation.  The principles of the commission are that there will be no means-testing and that the dependents of deceased policyholders will be included in the scheme.  This is indeed the right approach; policyholders who lost their pensions, savings and income through regulator failure need to be compensated.

I will be supporting the Government as this bill passes its way through Parliament, this has been a scandal and I am happy that we can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel for people.

For many home-owners, HIPs have been an extra headache when it comes to selling their home

Paul Maynard, Conservative MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys today welcomes the decision of the Government to suspend Home Information Packs (HIPs).  From 21^st May estate agents will no longer be required to have or provide copies of HIPs to buyers.  An outright ban will be introduced as soon as possible.

Commenting, Paul says “HIPs added additional costs on to people who were trying to sell their home.  They also proved to be ineffective as often buyers and their solicitors had little faith in the information provided.

The local housing market plays a big part in the economy here in Blackpool and Cleveleys and I believe that this decision sends a clear message of encouragement to people thinking of selling their homes that they can put in on the market with less cost and less hassle.

I am glad that the Government has suspended the requirement and I will be voting with the Government for HIPs to be consigned to history when the measure comes before the House.”

We will not allow an entire generation of Britons to be written off by Labour’s recession and promise practical support for people with a single Work Programme, based on the individual needs of each person and providing on CV writing, interview technique and job-hunting.

Over the next two years, we promise 400,000 new apprenticeships and training places, offering motivation and hope for the one in five young people in Britain who cannot find work.

Business mentors will be available to offer one-to-one advice to anybody in Blackpool and Cleveleys and across the UK who wants to set up a new business or grow an existing one.

Commenting on Mr. Osborne’s visit, Marcus Addison said: “It was a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate to a very senior politician both the reality of the recession in which we find ourselves and the creative approaches to business growth that financial adversity can stimulate. I hope that Mr. Osborne gained a good insight into how an engineering services company like Addison is coping with the significant challenges we face and, possibly, ways that he may be able to assist us in the future.”

It is natural to feel anxious in these times. It would be glib to suggest that there are any easy answers. But we must beware the Government’s preference for doing just about anything in order to be seen to be doing something. Gordon Brown seems to have reverted to taking actions based on short-term political considerations rather than long-term economic ones – as he should do. His mantra that Britain is in as bad a whole as the rest of the world is no longer true – we have been left far more exposed because of his actions, and he knows it.

This is a depressing post. But these are depressing times for all of us.