Two meetings

02/08/2009 by Steve Barclay.

Two meetings Saturday morning over coffee with residents in Coates and then Whittlesey, before heading over to Wisbech for lunch followed by a meeting in Littleport on the cuts to paramedic cover.  A few themes came out strongly at the coffee meetings.

Firstly, a sober realisation from most of those attending that the economy is in a real mess and that cuts will happen after the election whichever party wins.  The challenge put forward which is a fair one is for political parties to be more honest before the election about the true scale of the debt we face and what that means. Concern was expressed that the same middle income earners keep being punished with more tax whilst money is being wasted through lax spending.

Secondly, there was a strong desire for more local decision making.  This was reflected at the first meeting in the request to keep our current approach to internal drainage boards (a pledge I am happy to give) and at the second meeting from the desire to ensure local planning decisions are not overruled by an inspector who does not know this area - as has recently happened in Whittlesey.  There was a strong desire to keep the character of Whittlesey and not to see it become an overspill of Peterborough.  Useful to have an opportunity to set out Conservative policy proposals to address this by strengthening local decision making, in contrast to the top down central planning approach of Labour.

Thirdly, concern that money was being spent on translation, housing benefits and NHS care for new migrants who have not paid into the system, when some residents are struggling to get by and keep afloat.  Frustration that fairness is not being observed and that their voice is not being heard.  We need to strengthen our border controls and ensure the benefits system is not abused.  Both are overdue changes.

Overall there was a clear disillusion with politics and politicians.  A number of those attending questioned whether they will vote.  As a Parliamentary Candidate who has never received any expenses from the taxpayer, it is frustrating but understandable to hear how let down people feel, not least as I feel the same way. The current Parliament is clearly discredited and is limping to a slow exit.  But more work still needs to be done to clean up politics if the public are to have faith in the new Parliament after the next General Election. At the moment, it looks like turnout at the election will be significantly down.

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