01/04/2010 by Steve Barclay.

For all the talk of this being the first on-line General Election, with twitter feeds, blogs, you tube and the rest, the reality as this week-end has shown is that less fancy hard work gets the best reaction.

The week-end for me started early with Thursday evening spent at St Augustine’s Church in Wisbech, for a couple of hours conversation hosted by Rev Neil Gardener over coffee and biscuits. A wide range of political persuasions discussed how we can strengthen our local community, and it was heartening to hear the positive and constructive points made.  It was also very good to hear some who had previously been against the Conservative Party expressing interest in the work of Iain Duncan Smith and the Centre for Policy Studies.  Iain’s work is shaping Conservative policy on our broken society, and this had clearly registered with them.

Friday evening I attended a business forum in Ely, with representatives from the East of England Development Agency, the local council, our local MPs and Barclays Bank.  No surprise to discover that the East of England gets less funding than any other development agency in the country, with Labour shifting the funds to their own backyard.  A key issue for many businesses is not just access to capital, but the cost of that capital given the wide spread between the Bank of England base rate and the lending rate.

Saturday morning we were out early with a team in Little Downham including local councillor for the village Anna Bailey.  We covered the entire village before I headed over for one of my weekly coffee meetings, this time in Elm Close in March, with a group of ladies I had not met before.  These meetings are kindly hosted locally by a resident who invites ten people I have not met before for a chat.  It quickly emerged that those were involved in a host of key public services and community groups, which meant I left with helpful insights into what is happening at a practical level on the ground.

After the coffee meeting I travelled up to Wisbech to join our by-election team for some canvassing.  We have three excellent candidates standing for Wisbech Town, District and County following the sad death of our well respected councillor Les Simms.  All three candidates - Steve Brunton for town, Steve Tierney for District, and Sam Hoy for County all live in Wisbech, work in Wisbech, and are all under 45.  It is heartening that they were all part of our Conservative Future team and are now progressing to more senior roles within the party.  They will bring fresh blood, energy and ideas to our local government and be a great success, so please get out and vote on 15th April.  On the doorstep canvassing, I think I received as many votes for the fact that we were out canvassing in the rain as for anything I was saying, which shows that people do appreciate you being the first person to visit them for a while even if many are also fed up with the scandals of politicians in London.

After a quick return home to change (and catch the first half of the England v France six nations rugby match), I spent Saturday evening at the Whittlesey Conservative Club catching up with members.  The members always make me really welcome, and the views expressed about Gordon Brown left me in now doubt of their desire for change. 

Sunday lunchtime I headed over to Chatteris Conservative Club to meet the Mayor Cllr Pete Murphy.  I also met my eldest supporter Eric. At 101 years old, Eric was in the club for his lunchtime beer (the club voted to give him free beer for life for his 100th birthday).  It was great to chat with Eric who told me that he bought his house in Chatteris which he is still living in as long ago as 1924. It cost £400 with a £175 loan from the co-op.  He worked hard delivering coal around the Fens for many years, and he and his wife were from two families totally 26 children of which he is the last one.  Listening to Eric and seeing his smile and support was a great way to round off the week-end. 

Posted in Iain Duncan Smith, Local Elections, Ely, Little Downham, Whittlesey, Labour Failure, Wisbech | No Comments »

28/02/2010 by Steve Barclay.

A treat to look forward to is the arrival at Ely Cathedral in Feb 2012 of the award winning Quaker Tapestry collection, which I had a sneak preview of today.  In Brighton for the Conservative Spring Conference, I discoved the exhibition by chance and popped in to see it at the Quaker Meeting Hall where part of the collection is on temporary display.  It is stunning and thought provoking.

Tapestry tutor Bridget Guest kindly gave me an insight into the collection, and in particular explained two key panels which stood out for me (pictured), one of the anti-slavery movement and the other on banking.

Quakers played a leading part in the movement challenging slavery, led nationally by Thomas Clarkson of Wisbech and supported by Conservative MP William Wilberforce.  There was also a timely tapestry panel on the need for honesty in banking, which current bank chiefs could do to take note of.  Wisbech and Peckover House sit at the heart of Quaker history on banking, and the panel even has the Barclays bank eagle on it.

In total there are 77 panels, which took around 15 years to produce involving 4,000 men, women and children in 15 countries.  More details about the 77 tapestry panels can be found at: www.quaker-tapestry.co.uk

Steve Barclay is pictured with Bridget Guest

Looking at the award winning Quaker Tapestry which is heading to Ely Cathedral in 2012

Posted in Ely | No Comments »

27/12/2009 by Steve Barclay.

I could think of few things worse than a trip to the shops on the first Saturday after Christmas.  So it was an unexpected surprise to discover a great shop in Ely this Saturday, not least as I have walked past it countless times.

Rather than shopping, we headed over to Ely and completed the Cawdle Fen Walk.  Not the best weather but bracing can have its moments, or so I am told.  Afterwards we popped in to Topping & Company booksellers in Ely and what a delight.  A well stocked shop with lots of signed first editions, knowledgable staff, and they had the book I wanted. But those who know of my love of coffee will not be surprised that what particularly impressed was when, without asking, I was offered a coffee free of charge to drink whilst browing the shop.  Service like that is not available from the supermarkets or internet book sellers. 

Toppings have a regular programme of author events throughout the year, and a really good childrens book section too.  If you are not already a regular there, it is well worth a visit when next in Ely.  Let me know what you think if you go.

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18/12/2009 by Steve Barclay.

Spent the morning at King’s School in Ely where I judged the final of the junior and senior school debates.  Struck by the very high standard - well researched content, all the speakers kept good eye content, and some quite wonderful touches of humour and quick wit. 

To speak in front of a full hall is a big challenge, and even more so when it is before all your school friends who will no doubt have fun if you make a mistake.  So it was really uplifting to see the students speak so well.  The debates were fiercely contested with the teams having come through two earlier rounds.  The first debate was on whether to decriminalise drugs, with Wilkinson House winning.  The senior debate focussed on whether cultural and religious tolerance was a threat to Britain, and Torfrida House took the honours.

Pictured are the winning teams from the junior and senior debates.
In the afternoon I headed over to Wisbech, where I visited Ladbrokes for a briefing about the current state of the gaming industry which employs a number of people locally.  Whilst there I was also invited to place a charity bet - a £50 stake which I place on behalf of the East of England Air Ambulance. 

Am struck at the meeting, not for the first time, by what a small world it is.  At Labrokes the meeting was with Ric Royal who is a friend from my days living in Lancaster.  Rick now works for Ladbrokes nationally and has a detailed knowledge of the gaming industry.  It made for a good discussion about onshore and offshore tax issues, creating more jobs in the gaming industry, and he even helped out with tip for what horse I should back (not something I have a clue about).  We finished off with a sneak preview of the latest political betting for a few parliamentary seats and likely parliamentary majorities. 

Chatting with those in the store, one of the issues which will influence the election was clear - immigration.  There is a strong sense in Wisbech that the Labour Government has let local people down on immigration and not played fair.  Those who stick to the rules and work hard are being hit by higher bills, whilst others are seen to get special treatment with extra benefits.  If I am elected as MP, this is an issue I want to tackle.  We need to stop the current abuse of our benefits system and control immigration much better.  It is not a race issue to talk about immigration - it is an issue of fairness that people locally feel passionately about.   

Photo with Mr Rick Royal of Ladbrokes

Posted in Ely, Wisbech | No Comments »