20/04/2008 by Steve Barclay.

A winning run was continued tonight with the news just in of another by-election success.  In January we were delighted to win the Roman Bank and Peckover Division County Council seat with 61% of the vote. Tonight Cllr Geoff Harper e-mails me to bring the superb news that Phil Wait has just been elected for Wisbech St Mary - also securing 61% of the vote.

I spent the day out and about supporting Phil - in fact after some earlier canvassing I had a good chat with the wife of the Labour candidate whilst telling outside Murrow polling station.  Having fought elections in the mid 90s when we were last in Government, I appreciate how challenging it is when the Government is suffering in the polls.   After Murrow I headed over to the village hall in Wisbech St Mary.  Even in the last hour before 10pm when the poll closed there was a steady stream of voters.  Unfortunately I could not stay afterwards for the count with work the next day, but with fingers crossed headed home.  Geoff’s e-mail was the perfect conclusion to a great effort by Phil and all the team.  A special mention to our campaign manager Debbie Clark who ensured everyone knew what they needed to do and ran a fantastic operation.

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28/03/2008 by Steve Barclay.

A focus on road and rail today started with a site visit to Network Rail’s Whitemoor Yard. Once again the weather is awful - I need to try and arrange these site visits in the summer!  Fortunately we are welcomed with a coffee in the site office as we go through the aerial maps of the yard, and get an update on the recent residents meeting.  Am keen to discuss what jobs will be created.  It is good to hear that phase two will include some new work and also a number of existing jobs being brought in-house.

After a tour of the yard, including a visit to the control tower, head over to the association office for a meeting with Andrew Walker and Graham Chappell.  Andrew’s 9 year old daughter Charlotte was tragically drowned near Bedlam Bridge when the car she was travelling in left the road.   It is a very sad meeting and important that we work together to address the safety concerns around Fen roads.  Cambs Times Editor John Elworthy is also at the meeting, and Graham takes Malcolm Moss MP and myself through the compelling data that he has collated.  Malcolm offers to follow up a number of points, including writing to the County Council for accurate and up to date data on the number of accidents in recent years.

After the meeting, I travelled up to Wisbech to meet Father John Doman.  Father John is concerned about the issue of homelessness and feels that we need to do much more to tackle this.  I agree and offer to help.  I will report back in the future so watch this space. Then it is on to Wisbech St Mary to help our by-election candidate Phil Wait with some canvassing.  A great response for Phil again - he is well known and liked locally.  It bodes well for polling day next week. 

Posted in Wisbech St. Mary, Malcolm Moss MP, Road & Rail, Cambs Times | No Comments »