Canvassing in Oakhill
We managed to cover lots of the Oakhill area this evening, though we weren.t successful in finding a lot of people at home. The evening canvassing hours are traditionally between 6.30 and 8. However we always leave some literature to prove we’ve been to ask people in person for their support.
There was a time when canvassing by phone was all the rage and we have tried it once or twice. I don’t know about you, but I often feel very irritated when someone rings me in the middle of doing something with a ‘courtesy call’, to ask me how I am – and then tries to sell me something. So we tend not to do it very much.
We had some interesting discussions on issues like the NHS and the hospital site and holes in the roads. I must say we’ve had some success in getting urgent pothole repairs carried out after the devastating effects of the winter. However, I notice that most of the holes appear to have been ‘cold filled’, i.e filled with a dollop of tar which is then flattened but administered cold and the surface not sealed to bring the patch up to the same standard as a pristine road surface – known as ‘hot-boxing’.
This is dearer in the short term than cold fill but much more durable in the longer term. The last Conservative administration abandoned cold-fill for this reason, but in 2002 the Lib Dems brought it back. Oakhill Grove was recently so bad that we manged to get it completely resurfaced. The result I observed this evening was that some drivers now belt down there at a frightful speed. We will need to address that problem – if residents perceive it as such perhaps you’d let us know either directly or through OADRA.
The really nasty party
I try to avoid getting too ‘political’ on this site but sometimes, especially at election time, one just can’t avoid it.
I have read all the election literature that has come my way. So far I’ve had it from my own party, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Ukip.
It’s fair to say that, of the four lots none has gone in for negative campaigning or knocking copy – except one!
The Conservatives have put forward positive ideas for the future of Kingston and Britain. I defy anyone to find a pejorative or non-factual reference to other parties in our literature. Labour hasn’t said much about anything, really. Ukip has confined itself to wanting to ‘kick ass’ in Westminster.
But every piece of Liberal Democrat literature without exception, whether local or national, has dripped sheer negativity and nastiness from end to end. Smears against Conservative candidates abound. Helen Whately ‘tried to undermine ED’s campaign to save Kingston Hospital’ (in spite of getting Cameron’s guarantee to close no services there) and ‘works for a privatiser of health services’ – whose work on the Surbiton Hospital site Davey welcomed a couple of years ago. Your local councillors ‘have failed to stand up to Labour over negative housing subsidy’ and neglected our council tenants, in spite of my 12 years elected by tenants as chair of Housing Consultative. If you’ve read their stuff you can fill in the rest for yourselves.
This sanctimonious humbug insults the intelligence of voters and reduces our public life to ignominy more insidiously and more effectively than all the moats and duck houses in the world. Their campaigning methods show the Liberal Democrats to be the REALLY nasty party in our country and Borough and, though it pains me to say so
if you vote Liberal Democrat – this is what you’re voting for.
Osbourne ‘No-Show’ on Housing
Our Lib Dem opponents suggested we had neglected Council tenants (see ‘Out of FOCUS- again!’ below).
What would they think of their Leader’s ‘commitment’ today? A meeting with leading resident representatives, originally scheduled for yesterday morning at 10.30 was rescheduled for today at 5 p.m. specifically so that he could attend it.
The organisers might as well not have bothered. He didn’t appear – nor did he send any explanation or apology for his non-appearance.
What sort of ‘concern’ or commitment is that?
For the record I was there!
Message from Michael Gove
Dear Paul,
Nicki Woods is my hero. Elections aren’t usually heroic affairs. There’s often something pretty unattractive about all the manoeuvring and squabbling. But sometimes you get a powerful reminder what politics can achieve which reminds you why it’s so important that we get out and fight.
And this weekend I got the most powerful reminder possible of what we’re fighting for – from Nicki.
She’s a mum who lives in Birkenshaw in West Yorkshire and she wants her children to go to a good local school. She wants a school her children can walk to, a school where the head teacher knows every child’s name, a school built on a human scale with good discipline, traditional teaching and high aspirations. But the bureaucrats won’t let her.
Nicki is in the same position as millions of parents who want the best for their children but find the bureaucracy just won’t listen. It’s those people I’m fighting for in this election. And in Nicki all those parents have their champion. She organised a rally this weekend to demand a good school in her neighbourhood.
David Cameron and I were privileged to attend that rally and it was my moment of this election. A moment when hundreds of people gave voice to their hopes, demonstrated what the Big Society looks like, and joined together to demand the best for their children. We met hundreds of mums and dads who just want a great school in their community and can’t believe that Ed Balls has told them they can’t have it.
A Conservative victory on May 6th will mean that Nicki and every other parent who wants a great neighbourhood school for their child will have a Government on their side not one that thinks bureaucrats knows best.
We will give teachers the powers they need to restore discipline. We will make our exams world class and end dumbing down. We will help children from the poorest backgrounds most of all. We will give heads the powers they need to turn around poor schools and provide more good school places.
And we will ensure parents who want a new generation of smaller schools with small class sizes get the support they need to make their dreams come true.
Please, watch the footage from this rally, and then support us in our fight against Ed Balls, the bureaucrats and their culture of failure.
Michael Gove MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
P.S. if you’d like to know more about our plans for new schools, the New Schools Network is a fantastic independent organisation bringing parents, teachers and education experts together to change education for the better. Also if you’d like to know more about our policy take a look at the education section of our Manifesto
New on Health and Hospitals page
I have today posted on the Health and Hospitals page a letter I wrote to the ‘Surrey Comet’ on 23rd February about inter-party co-operation on the A&E/Maternity issue.
They acknowledged receipt but did not publish this letter from the spokesman of 21 Kingston Councillors on a matter within his remit as a Shadow Executive member. No explanation has been offered as to why.
Surbiton Forum 