The Japanese Election Shows That Arrogant Political Elites Are Eventually Punished

I noted from the news this morning that the party which has dominated Japanese politics for about 52 years has been decimated in the most recent Japanese election. It has been driven out of areas where it has been dominant since the war. An urgent desire for change has moved a complacent governing party out of office.

I'm not saying that there are many analogies between Japanese and British politics. What the result does show however is that parties that take voters for granted are eventually punished. Once a desire for change reaches a certain point, a tidal wave of change sweeps arrogant politicians away.

As I have said before, the Labour Party in the North East has become arrogant, complacent and distant from the people it is supposed to represent. So many of the people I have spoken to have made quite clear that they have had quite enough of the Labour Party taking us for granted. They are ready to vote Conservative and vote for real change at the next election. They are supporting candidates such as me who are passionate about the region and independent of the arrogant Labour elite that has let down the area for long enough.

The Japanese example shows that heartlands are never permanent and the voters will always punish politicians who take the people for granted.

Do Ministers Really Need Ministerial Cars?

Boris Johnson has a very good article in this morning's Telegraph. In it he argues that top politicians and particularly Ministers should leave their Ministerial cars behind and, instead, use public transport or even (perish the thought) walk.

This gives politicians a chance to meet the people they either serve or aspire to serve. Politicians stuck in their ministerial cars means that politicians are more distant from and less engaged with the electorate. As the article suggests, Ministerial cars are all about status. They move politicians very short distances, generally through traffic jams, and, in the process, cost the taxpayer in the region of £20 million a year.

In North Durham, I want to speak to as many citizens as possible between now and the election. That means I'm using local public transport as much as possible and spending as much time as I can walking around the constituency. I think politicians owe it to voters to do all that they can to hear local concerns. National Ministers need to shed unnecessary trappings of power and get closer to the people they represent.

Another Government Plan That Will Hit The Poorest The Hardest

We know from the 10p tax rate abolition, when Gordon Brown made the poorest in society worse off to pay for a tax bribe for the middle class, that this Government has no hesitation in implementing policies that have a significant negative impact on the poorest in society. He has done it again and this time the effect on the vulnerable is as damaging as the 10p tax rate abolition.

The Government's latest policy wheeze is to reduce housing benefit by up to £15 a week. This will affect some of the poorest families in the country. At a time when people are already struggling as a result of the recession, this change will impact the poorest. That is, surely, outrageous. Labour MP Frank Field has said that this policy would harm those in society "who have the very least to survive on." One of his colleagues, Gisela Stuart, says that this Labour policy would hit the poorest hardest.

According to Citizen's Advice, the Government plans, "are ill thought out, and risk having a real impact on levels of poverty without delivering any real savings to the DWP budget."

Once again, Gordon Brown is putting political calculation first. This is yet another Labour policy that means the poorest will suffer the most.

The Labour Party Forgets The North East Once Again

This Government contains so many MPs who claim to represent the North East. This makes it an even bigger scandal that the area is ignored time and time again by the Labour Party.

Labour forgot the North East yet again this week when it announced the route for the new high speed rail network. Thr route takes in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh. As is so often the case with this Government, the North East is not included in their plans. This is bound to have an impact on the North Eastern economy and business links for the North East.

Where were the voices of North Eastern Labour MP's when this decision that puts the North East at a disadvantage was made? The voices of North Eastern Labour MPs remained silent.

Once again, the Government has chosen to forget about the North East. It has ignored the area too often and for too long. The MPs elected to represent the people of the North East seem totally uninterested in standing up for the North East.

As I have said so many times, the Labour Party in this area has taken people for granted for too long. If elected as MP for North Durham, I will stand up for the North East seven days a week, 365 days a year. This decision is yet another reason why the voters of North Durham will demand change at the next election.

Pockets Of High Crime Mean That Labour Has Betrayed The Most Vulnerable In Society

The list of areas where the Government has betrayed those people who placed the most faith in it is almost endless. However, nowhere is that betrayal more shocking than in the case of crime, and particularly violent crime, which disproportionately affects deprived areas and hits the vulnerable the hardest.

It is sadly the case that pockets of high crime exist in the same place as areas of high deprivation. The people who this Government was supposed to be protecting, those who live in the most deprived areas, are still largely living in fear of violent crime. Those people who live in the 20% most deprived areas are twice as likely to say that fear of crime has a 'high' or 'moderate' impact on their quality of life than those who live in the 20% least deprived areas.

People living in the 20% most deprived areas are twice as likely to be victims of violence than people who live in the 20% least deprived areas. Households with the lowest income are by far the most likely to be victims of crime.

A Labour Government have allowed pockets of high crime and severe deprivation to exist in 21st Century Britain. Put simply, this is not good enough and it is a betrayal of those who put so much faith in the Labour Party. The Government has done nothing to put an end to this situation. In doing so, they have lost any moral authority they might have had and should be replaced by a Conservative Government who will take real action to help people in areas of deprivation.

New Mothers Should Not Be Being Turned Away From Maternity Beds Because Of Government Cuts

I'm sure we would all agree that any mother that wants to give birth in a hospital deserves the dignity of a Labour bed and a private room. Sadly, because Labour have left maternity services in the UK over-stretched, this has not always been the case in recent times. As is always the case in the NHS, the nurses and other who work in maternity wards do an incredible job. However, they have been left under-stretched and under-resourced by this Government. This is the result of the Government cutting the number of maternity beds by 22 per cent since 1997.

In too many cases, mothers are being denied a labour bed because units are overstretched. In 2008, almost 4,000 women in England gave birth in a location other than a designated hospital bed, up 15 per cent in 2007. That includes 54 women in our local area. Although some of these births will have been genuione emergencies and unavoidable, we know that many of these cases would have been becuase maternity units are over-stretched and under-funded. Maternity units had to shut their doors to women in labour 553 times last year becuase they were full.

It is quite wrong that new mothers are being turned away from maternity beds becuase of Government cuts. We must ensure that every woman who wants to give birth in hospital has a single room in hospital, so they can give birth with privacy and in dignity.

There Is A Thirst For Real Change In North Durham

I have spoken to thousands of voters throughout North Durham over the past few months. There is one thing that leaps out from almost everybody I speak to - people are fed up with being taken for granted by a local Labour Party and there is a strong desire for real change.

People are tired that the Labour Party has promised so much but delivered so little. They are fed up of the fact that they are doing too little about the 90% rise in unemployment in the constituency; or the record levels of anti social behaviour affecting the constituency. Local people are disenchanted about the fact the the local Labour Council are increasing their own allowances, whilst cutting services and raising Council Tax.

They are delighted that there is now a real alternative to the Labour Party in North Durham, with a strong Conservative campaign. They like what they are hearing about the new Conservative Party, with the vast majority of people I have spoken to being very positive about our policies and the fact that the Conservatives are represented by a young, local candidate, who is passionate about the area and the need for change. Local people recognise that the Liberal Democrats represent a wasted vote. The choice is between more of the same with Labour and real change with the Conservatives.

There is a real momentum behind the Conservative campaign in North Durham - buoyed by a determination to deliver the real change that the people of the area are desperate for.

Saluting The Ashes Heroes... And The Mighty Durham Contribution

Plenty of people (including probably 11 cricketers will be waking up with sore heads this morning) following the celebrations of England's magnificent Ashes triumph yesterday. Once again the Test series has had the nation gripped and, once again, England have heroically come out on top.

I have to say a particular congratulations to the Durham heroes who played such an important role in the victory. Paul Collingwood, who kept us in the game at Cardiff and, effectively kept the series alive. Graham Onions, for some inspired bowling. And Steve Harmison, for a hugely memorable bowling spell yesterday, that reminded us that, at his best he is one of the world's most fearsome fast bowlers. The whole of Durham should be very proud of their efforts.

Now roll on us winning the Ashes again when we head down under...

Government Policies Have Dashed The University Dream Of Thousands

Congratulations to all of the A'Level students celebrating their results. An awful lot of hard work and dedication has gone into these great results today.

Sadly, too many young people who have acheived great results are not getting the university place they want. Government inaction has meant that 140,000 young people have still to secure a university place, with only around 15,000 clearing places remaining.

The Government has been warned for months about this. It was clear in the Spring that such a crisis was a strong potential but, all the while, the Government continued to dither and delay. In that time they have cut the number of university places available, before offering a small number of unfunded STEM places that many universities have had to turn down.

Improving educational opportunity will be the key to the UK competing successfully in a globalised, skills driven world. That the Government is effectively blocking young people from reaching their educational aspirations is disgraceful. The Government needs to act now. And it needs to act to ensure that this kind of crisis never happens again.

Train Fares Going Down. About Time Too. The Standard Of Service Still Isn't Up To Scratch

The train operating companies have been led kicking and screaming to accept the fact that they are going to have to reduce fares for passengers. This fare reduction comes not a moment too soon.

For too long, the train operators (with a few exceptions such as Grand Central) have been taking advantage of the inflation link to squeeze passengers wallets by increasing fares without any commensurate increase in service. Indeed, rather than improving the traveller experience, too many companies have become obsessed with spending huge sums of money installing barriers and appointing ticket collectors who, all too often, have their major concern as squeeing the last penny out of long suffering travellers.

Frankly, passengers have had to put up with paying extortionate prices for a standard of service that is frankly not good enough. A standard return from Durham to London is now over £100. At times, that doesn't even guarantee you a seat. On other routes, you will pay sky high prices for a standing trip, with no luggage space and, at times, no working toilets.

So it is about time that passengers are asked to pay less for what can be a substandard service. The train operating companies should not try to get around this by increasing the fares that are not regulated. Instead they should be concentrating all of their energies on improving the passenger experience.

57,000 Young North Easterners Are Not In Employment, Education Or Training

I have been shocked to find that despite all this Government's grand rhetoric about creating jobs and providing education and training opportunities, there are still tens of thousands of young people in the area who have been left behind.

New figures show that some 57,000 18-24 year olds are not in employment, education or training. This, placed alongside the 90% increase in unemployment in North Durham and record youth unemployment, shows that young people have been badly let down by Labour in the North East.

We need to create training places, workplace apprenticeships and ensure that young people's educational aspirations are met. Labor have failed those people it promised to prioritise. If elected, I will focus on ensuring that young people are no left behind and are enabled to fulfil their potential.

The Government Needs To Act About The University Places Crisis

I'm a strong believer in the value of education. And that means an excellent education or everybody. Under no circumstances should economic circumstances mean that an individual cannot pursue the educational route that they want to pursue.

If we are going to emerge from this terrible recession in a stronger and more competitive state, education will be the key. In a global economy that places such a premium on skills, a highly educated workforce will be pivotal to economic success. Which is why I find it so distressing that the Government has decided that now is the time to cut back on Higher Education.

Because of Government cuts, there will be nowhere near enough university places for applicants this year. When the A-Level results come out, thousands of young people with good grades will find that they cannot have a place in their university of choice. Estimates of this shortfall of applicaants to places range from 30,000 to 130,000. That is up to 130,000 young people who will be unable to complete their educational aspirations.

At a time when Government should be doing all that it can to prevent the creation of 'lost generation' of young people, all the Government seem willing to do is look for 'headline grabbing initiatives. Given that UCAS has been warning of been warning for months about this problem, it is shameful that more has not been done to deal with the impending crisis.

The Liberal Democrats In County Durham Are A Total Shambles

The Liberal Democrats in County Durham are in a state of total shambles. I find it astonishing that they claim to be in a position to represent local people in Parliament when they cannot even organise a small group of Councillors of Durham County Council.

Believe it or not, the scattering of Liberals on the Council has managed to become consumed by fierce internal division. So much so, that they have actually split into two warring camps. Three Councillors have left the Party and will now sit as 'Independent Liberals'. They say that 'irreconcilable differences' are behind the split. This comes only a few weeks after local Liberal Democrats were investigated by their own Party over their conduct during a selection process.

How do Liberal Democrats in County Durham expect the people to trust them when Liberal Democrat Councillors cannot even trust each other? The truth is that the General Election in North Durham will be a choice between Change For The Better with the Conservatives and 'More Of The Same' with Labour.

Liberals on the County Council have proven themselves unfit to run a whelk stall, never mind represent the great people of North Durham on the national stage.

The Glorious Optimism Of The Opening Day Of The Football Season

There is nothing quite like the first day of the football season. For a golden moment just before kick off, the woes, the waiting and the speculation of the close season can be consigned to the past. For a brief period, last season's troubles can be forgotten. In those moments leading up to kick off on the opening day, all football fans are equal. Before the whistle blows on Day One and the reality of the new season sets in, anything is possible.

Every football fan says to themself (and probaly to anybody else within earshot)... Maybe... Just maybe... This might be our year. And the the whistle blows and the waiting is over. Within 90 minutes, for so many, the hope gives way to grim reality.

Speaking as a Sunderland fan though, the hope continues for another week. A classy 1-0 win at Bolton leaves us joint leaders after 1 game!! Maybe... Just maybe...

Conservatives Will Increase The NHS Budget In Real Terms. Why Do Labour Refuse To Do The Same?

I blogged yesterday afternoon about how proud I am of the NHS. I'm proud of the fact that when you or your family or friends fall ill, treatment is guaranteed and is free at the point of delivery. I'm immensely grateful for all the care that the NHS has given to me and my family over the years. I'm in awe at the skills, talent and dedication of the hard working people who work in the NHS.

David Cameron and Andrew Lansley have also spoken about how proud they are of the NHS. Conservatives view the NHS as a great British institution. We strongly believe in the principles of the NHS and are looking at ways to make the NHS even better. That is why a Conservative Government would ease pressure on people on the frontline by cutting back centrally imposed targets. It is why we would help patients by giving them more information about the care they receive within the NHS.

The Conservatives have also committed to a real terms increase in NHS funding. Despite being challenged time and time again on the matter, Gordon Brown and the Labour Party have refused to match this promise. They have refused to say that they share our commitment to NHS funding.

As I made clear yesterday, it is becuase of my deep commitment to the NHS that I am opposing Labour's plans to cut back on maternity and A & E services. It is because of my deep commitment to the NHS that I am opposing the replacement of local, family Doctors with impersonal polyclinics. It is because of my deep commitment to the NHS that I am calling for the Government to match the Conservative commitment to increase NHS funding in real terms.

I Love The NHS. That's Why I'm Opposing Labour's NHS Cuts

I think the NHS is a great British institution. I'm enormously proud of the NHS and I'm enormously proud of the fact that British people have health care that is free at the point of delivery.

As David Cameron has said, the Conservative Party is a strong
believer in the NHS - we will defend the NHS and ensure that the NHS budget is protected. David Cameron has made clear that the NHS is our number one priority. We are committed to real increases in NHS
spending.

It is because I love the NHS that I accept there is the need for some reform to give more power to patients and health professionals. I want to free the people who work in the NHS from the unnecessary bureaucracy of the target regime. I want to give patients more information and more choice about their treatment within the NHS.

It is because I love the NHS that I am opposing Gordon Brown and Labour's NHS cuts. Conservatives are opposing Gordon Brown's plans to cut A & E and Maternity services. I'm opposing Labour's plans to close over 1,700 family doctor surgeries so that they can impose polyclinics. Conservatives believe in the NHS and we are fighting these plans to cut back on NHS services for local people.

We Must Do All That We Can To Ensure That the Recession Does Not Produce A 'Lost Generation' Of Young People

The unemployment figures published yesterday were terrible. As I blogged yesterday, we need to do so much more about unemployment in North Durham, which has increased by a shocking 90% in the past year.

One of the most worrying things about the rise in unemployment is how it is disproportionately affecting young people. As Fraser Nelson blogged on the Spectator Coffee House yesterday, unemployment amongst the 18-25 age group is some 33% higher than when Labour came to power. There are now 935,000 16-24 year olds not in employment, education or training, up from 671,000 in 2001. On top of this, the Government is cutting back its 'Train To Gain' scheme at a time when young people need training the most, and it looks like (according to Sunday's Telegraph) tens of thousands university applicants will not be able to get their desired University place. Graduate employment places are also down by around a third on this time last year.

This recession risks being devastating for a whole generation of young
people. We must do all that we can to ensure that the recession does not produce a 'lost generation' of young talent.

This means creating training places and apprenticeships that will give young people real workplace experience. It means looking at how Further Education is funded to make sure that young people get the best possible opportunities out of FE. It means a proper, structured programme of careers support and advice for young people. It means providing support to business and pressuring the banks to get credit flowing again so jobs can be created.

What we cannot afford is to knee-jerk, as Brown and Mandelson are doing into a series of 'headline grabbing inititiatives' that deliver little of substance for young people. We must ensure that the present generation of school, college and university leavers does not become a lost generation. Economically, socially and morally - we cannot afford for that to happen.

Unemployment Up 90% In North Durham. Much More Needs To Be Done To Tackle Unemployment

Unemployment is one of the greatest problems facing the country and one of the greatest problems facing North Durham. We need to do so much more to help tackle unemployment and the devastating impact that it has on individuals, families and communities.

Figures released today show that unemployment in North Durham now stands at 2,563. That is 90% higher than the figure of 1,345 a year ago. That means 1,218 more families now suffering the terrible effects of unemployment. Quite simply, the Government is not doing enough to help tackle the unemployment crisis in North Durham.

That is why I am calling for urgent action to address the problem.
We need to provide additional advice and support to help unemployed people get back in to work. We need to create tens of thousands new training places and create new apprenticeships. We have to offer support to local businesses to help them create jobs.

Labour have let local people down by not doing enough to tackle unemployment. More needs to be done. And more needs to be done as a matter of urgency.

Credit Unions Should Have A Major Role To Play In Beating The Loan Sharks

I blogged the other day about the tragic case ofthe Stanley woman who ended up paying over £80,000 to a loan shark over eight years for a £500 loan. I made that Government MUST be doing more to protect the most vulnerable from people who prey on their financial weakness. And that includes cracking down on those firms who charge interest rates of up to 10,000% APR for so-called 'quick loans'. Indeed, the fact that such firms are allowed to prosper is a modern scandal.

In the blog I suggested that Credit Unions should be promoted as a far superior alternative to those predators who prey on the vulnerable. I was pleased to see that the credit unions in Derwentside are planning to up their game. I just hope that this isn't a news blitz following the nationwide headlines of the past week and that the proactivity still remins when the isue isn't on the national news agenda.

The truth is that this dreadful case might have been avoided if credit unions had been properly promoted and awareness of them had been higher. Not only are they able to offer sensible lending services to people who would otherwise have to turn towards a seedy underbelly, but they are also able to offer often much needed financial advice to people who feel they they have nowhere else to turn. I'm a strong believer in Credit Unions. But they need to increase their visibility, proactivity and community presence to help make sure that there are no repeats of the tragic case that unfolded in Newcastle last week.

There Is Real Local Anger At Labour Councillors Voting Themselves A 20% Increase

I was out in Chester le Street today and almost every voter I spoke to was angry and upset about the decision by Labour Councillors to increase their allowances by a staggering 20%. I made my shock at the decision of Labour Councillors clear on this blog the other day and also in the Northern Echo today.

What angered the people I spoke to most is the perception that Labour Councillors have grown detached from the people they are elected to represent. People are genuinely appalled that Labour Councillors are doing this at a time when most local people are worried about their jobs, mortgage payments and mounting bills and at a time when almost everybody is having to tighten their belts.

Local people see Labour Councillors saying that they need to cut back services but still not even pausing to show any restraint when adding hundreds of thousands to the Council's budget for their own pay. Local people do not understand why they are being asked to pay Council Tax at a massively increased rate, whilst Labour Councillors are, at the same time, helping themselves to this increase.

People in North Durham are fed up at being taken for granted. They are getting fed up of a complacent Labour Party. This is just another example of a local Labour establishment losing touch with voters in the area.

We Need To Crack Down On Loan Sharks Preying On The Most Vulnerable

One of the most difficult stories I have heard for some time happened in North Durham this week, where a woman from Stanley ended up paying a loan shark £88,000 for seven years for a £500 loan. This is a truly awful case of the unscrupulous taking advantage of the most vulnerable and we must put a stop to it once and for all.

It is not only the seedy underbelly of loan sharks preying on the most vulnerable. Some apparently 'reputable' lenders are providing loans with APR of up to a staggering 10,000%. Take a company going by the name of 'QuickQuid', which says on its web site that, "depending on the loan term, typical APRs will range from 1351.7% to 9889.3%".

This kind of exploitation is utterly unacceptable. That such a practice is flourishing after more than a decade of Labour Government is symptomatic of a Labour Party that has lost its moral compass.

We need to do much more to protect the vulnerable from financial predators. Those firms and individuals who prey on the vulnerable must be cracked down on. Financial literacy should be taught in schools (bear in mind that in a recent survey 79% of those surveyed ndidn't understand the term APR). A National financial Advice Service should be created to help vulnerable people who are desperate for help and advice. We must also promote the excellent work of Credit Unions and ensure that local people know about the services that they provide.

Above all, we need action and urgent reform to ensure that we see no repeat of the terrible case that was played out in Newcastle Crown Court this week. Such cases represent horrendous human tragedies that should not be tolerated in modern Britain.

Giles Clarke Should Not Be Lecturing England Cricket Fans

Giles Clarke, supremo of the England and Wales Cricket Board has been pontificating this week about England fans reaction to Aussie players, particularly Ricky Ponting. Mr Clarke, whose over-riding acheivement as ECB head has been to take test match cricket off the TV screens of millions and minimise the audience for test cricket by taking the Murdoch dollar, should really save his musings for behind the closed doors of his London gentleman's club.

The Ashes is about an intense and passionate rivalry between two intensely proud sporting nations. Any England player who has ever played at the MCG or the WACA should know about the 'fruity' atmosphere and witty repartee of Aussie crowds towards English players. I fail to see why English crowds should be castigated for fully backing their team and enaging in playful banter with the opposition. The Aussie players know the passion of the English crowds. As Ponting himself said, the atmosphere and the occasional booing is just part of the incredible sporting tension of the Ashes.

It is about time that Giles Clarke and others in their ivory towers stopped pretending to be the sole custodians of what they call the 'spirit of the game'. Indeed, Clarke selling out the birth right of English cricket for Sky's millions is a far bigger violation of the spirit of the game than fans booing Ponting. The top dogs at the EBC have no right whatsoever to lecture hard working people who have forked out a considerable amount of money to buy a ticket for test match cricket. I, for one, am pleased that the good people of Leeds blew Giles Clarke et al a metaphorical raspberry at Headingley on Friday afternoon.

Labour Councillors' Shameful Decision To Pocket 20% More Public Money

Last week I wrote this blog piece about Labour politicians in the North East taking local people for granted. Within days, Labour Councillors on Durham County Councillor had proven my point. They voted to give themselves a 20% increase in allowances and expenses. That equates to £306,000 more a year in allowances. Ten Labour Cabinet members (including the Leader and Deputy Leader) already claimed over £225,000 last year. That is going to be even higher next year.

Local people are VERY angry about this and I completely share their anger.

At a time when people are worried about their jobs, meeting mortgage
payments and paying bills (including sky rocketing Council tax bills) it is SHAMEFUL that fat cat Labour Councillors are helping themsleves to 20% more of our money. If local Labour Councillors had any comprehension of the financial hardship that people in North Durham are facing they should have turned down ANY allowance increase.

I also find the idea that Councillors are allowed to vote on their pay to be quite wrong. At a time when the rest of us are having to tighten our belts, fat cat Labour Councillors have shown zero restraint and again illustrated the case for these kind of decisions not to be taken by those who would benefit.

The Labour Party in North Durham has become complacent, out of touch and arrogant. They have proven this arrogance by pocketing almost £2,000 more of our money a year at the same time as increasing Council Tax by well above inflation. By voting Skelton for Change, the people of North Durham would be giving a bloody nose to an out of touch Labour elite and showing that we are sick of being taken for granted by the Labour Party.

Time For The Banks To Get Credit Moving Again

We need to get credit flowing to business to get the economy moving again. This credit needs to flow to help business create new jobs. Sadly, at the moment, despite the fact that they have hoovered up public money over the past year or so, the banks are not passing credit on to the real economy. They need to get their act together, quickly.

I speak to so many businessmen who complain that the flow of
credit that is crucial to small and medium sized businesses has ground to a near halt. I speak to so many people who, quite rightly, complain that banks are more than happy to pass on interest rate cuts to savers but not to mortgage holders.

Banks are paying ultra bonuses to their bosses while squeezing lending to the real economy. Good, sound businesses are still being deprived of credit. It is about time that the big banks stepped up to the plate and played their role in getting credit flowing and getting the economy moving again. We need to put pressure on the banks to pass on interest rate cuts and to lend money to business. We also need to take up the idea of a £50 billion National Loan Guarantee Scheme, that has been outlined by Ken Clarke, to help employers of all sizes get credit.

We Need A Televised National Debate... And We Need Local Debates As Well

Lord Mandelson teased us all this week with the prospect of a televised debate between the Party leaders. Such a debate HAS to happen. Anybody who argues against such a debate is treating the British public with disrespect.

Televised debates are a pivotal feature of elections in most other democracies. They should be introduced in this democracy as well, as part of a suite of reforms designed to reinvigorate politics and bring democracy closer to the people.

I find it impossible to understand how anybody, other than journalists or Labour party hacks worried that their man might be outclassed,
could oppose a prime time televised debate. Anything that makes politics more open and brings democracy closer to the people that the politicians are serving has to be a good thing.

That is why we need a televised debate. That is also why I would like my Labour and Liberal rivals to agree to debates across North Durham in the run up to the election. So we can take politics away from the establishment and give it back to the people, giving them the chance to listen to those who aspire to serve them, their ideas and their vision for the future of North Durham.

Celebrating The Riverside Being Awarded An Ashes Test

I'm delighted about the news that the Riverside will be hosting an Ashes test in 2013. The Chester-le-Street ground is one of the best sporting venues in the country and Durham CCC is one of the great sporting success stories of the past few years. It is quite right that such a top class venue will be hosting a top class sporting event.

So much hard work has been put in by people in North Durham to make the Riverside ground what it is today. Personally, I'm immensely proud that all this hard work and dedication has resulted in this well deserved, and long overdue announcement. We should salute everybody who has made this possible. Holding an Ashes test at Chester le Street will give us another chance to show what a great sporting spectacle we can put on in North Durham.

Of course, England also have an unblemished record at the Riverside. Here's hoping that it continues through to 2013.