17/04/2010 by Steve Barclay.

A busy and varied week, which has ranged from speaking to sixth form students in Wisbech, shop keepers in Whittlesey, and large firms like JDR Cable Systems in Littleport.  JDR Cable Systems employ just under 200 people here in their head office and R&D facility, producing underwater cables for the oil and gas industry and for offshore wind farms.  It is a successful local manufacturing firm which is well placed to benefit from the green economy.  I am keen to find out from those working at the heart of our firms how I can support them if I become the MP, so was grateful to Operations Director Colin Taylor who gave me an insightful tour of their plant on the Littleport Innovation Park. 

The week was rounded off today with over 30 people out in March for the first of our General Election campaign action days.   It was perfect weather, and with many helpers out it meant we could cover the ground much quicker.  So we had a good the excuse for a lunch time pint at the Rose and Crown, before finishing at 4pm and heading over to the Ship.  A good response on the doorstep, followed by a beer sat in the sun.  A great note on which to finish the week.

Pictured are some of the team enjoying the sun (and a beer)
at the Rose & Crown in March

Posted in Campaigning, General Election, March, Littleport, Whittlesey | No Comments »

09/04/2010 by Steve Barclay.

I have always felt the best way to find out what matters to local residents is to get out from behind a desk and chat with them direct at their front door.  What is striking from canvassing in the first few days of the campaign is the consistency of the issues on the doorstep, and how different these are from those issues being raised with me in the post.

I spent today canvassing in Wisbech with our County Council candidate Sam Hoy, County Councillor Steve Tierney, and our local team.  On the doorstep I expected the economy and jobs to be the biggest issue as the media is still dominated by the debate on national insurance.  The economy did come up today, but not often.  The most mentioned subject has been immigration, followed by lack of police, health services, and funding for pensioners.   This has been strikingly consistent not just in different areas of Wisbech, but in Manea, Benwick, Elm and March where we have also been campaigning over the last few days.

Given the comments about at the lack of policing, it was good to see in Wisbech two of our PCSO’s out and about, with Steve outside the Oasis Centre and Katrina (pictured) walking the beat along Clarkson Avenue. From chatting with them both had a great grasp of the issues in their patch.

By contrast, in the postbag there has been little if anything about immigration or policing.  Instead I have had emails and letters with requests to sign over 50 different pledges on a wide range of issues.   These vary greatly, from animal rights issues such as vote4animals or the Animal Testing Survey, to climate change and environmental issues like the Climate Change and Carbon Emissions campaign, Green Energy Charter or Woodland Trust Manifesto, to long running campaigns like CND and Trident, to international issues like UK and Cuba relations or the Debt Relief Bill, to community issues like Sikhs and the Census, the Ramblers campaign or the British Cycling Campaign, to social issues like the Modernisation of Drug Safety Campaign, the Right to Life Campaign or the Dignity in Dying campaign, and even ad hoc campaigns such as the Spare Room campaign, Save the BBC campaign and Save Regional News campaign.  There are also detailed packs from many of our most respected charities, many of which have five or six pledges for candidates to sign up to.

It is great that people take the trouble to get in touch, even if it is just forwarding emails or letters from an organisation’s London HQ.  All are issues of importance.  However if you do not venture out of the office to hear the issues on the doorstep, you would have a totally different view of the campaign when looking at the postbag compared to listening on the doorstep.

Posted in Policing, Campaigning, General Election, Wisbech | No Comments »

18/07/2009 by Steve Barclay.

Up to Norwich early to help with the by-election following the decision by Labour MP Dr Ian Gibson to step down over his expenses. I was already planning on a trip up to help but lunch last week with the Party Chairman meant it was not an option to fail to pitch up. Good to see lots of posters for our excellent candidate Chloe Smith on the Yarmouth Road as I approach the sector office. I must have spent all of 90 seconds in the office as a pile of leaflets and individually addressed letters were ready for collection - ideal organisation.

Then in the afternoon I travel to Huntingdon for a meeting with Cambridgeshire Chief Fire Officer Graham Stagg and Fenland Road Safety Campaigner Graham Chappell. Two hours of constructive discussion with a clear desire from all sides to get action to improve safety on our rural roads. Cars are at risk of going into the Fen drains which run alongside the roads.  Really positive to hear about the new dry suits that the Fire Service intends to issue to Fenland crews together with the ice inflatable pathways, both of which will help with shallow water rescue.  Crews can be trained for wading rescue and deep water rescue - at the moment Fenland crews are not trained to go into water however shallow.  The sad reality is that if a car is fully submerged then it is unlikely any rescue crew could get there in time given how cold the water is.  However Graham and I are working to improve the rescue capacity if cars are partially submerged, and to help prevent accidents in the first place.

There was also good discussion on prevention, specifically on the budget front regarding the potential for action on barriers. These need to go at the highest risk sites to help prevent accidents, in conjuction with the work the council is doing to reduce speeding. See the campaigns section for more info. Torrential ran provided a noisy backdrop throughout the meeting and I was almost wading back to the car afterwards.

Posted in Huntingdon, Campaigning, Conservative Party | No Comments »