Former Daily Mirror Editor: I Will Vote Conservative For The First Time In My Life

I have spoken to so many people in the past few months who have said that they are lifelong Labour voters but will be voting for my campaign for change at the next election. They have grown tired of a Labour Party that has lost touch with its roots; taken local people for granted; allowed the gap between rich and poor to grow; and has done nothing for the people of the North East and our economy.

There is a fascinating article in one of today's papers about a lifelong Labour voter and a former editor of the Daily Mirror, who has decided that, at the next election, he will be voting Conservative for the first time in his life. In the article, he reflects on what the Labour Party used to stand for:

I was brought up to believe the Labour Party was the best hope for ordinary people to make a better life.

The men I was taught to revere - Clem Attlee, Stafford Cripps, Ernie Bevin and Herbert Morrison - were people of the finest moral values who put their crusade for a fairer society before personal advancement.

He then points out that the present Labour Party is not part of this crusade for a fairer society:

Today, the hierarchy of New Labour has no such scruples; they shift and slide like desert sands depending on how the wind blows. So I can only hope that my ancestors would understand when I vote Conservative at the next election. It was the hardest decision I have ever made.

He the goes on to say quite how much he has been disappointed by New Labour:

The truth is that Old Labour principles of fairness and equality and support for the working classes seem to have evaporated under this Government. Also, personal integrity among its senior politicians no longer seems to exist... the experiment with New Labour has ended in catastrophe and that this Government has wasted money like no other in history. So I shall vote Conservative for the first time in my life.

He is just one of many people who placed so much faith in New Labour only to be met with crushing disappointment. There will be so many people who have voted Labour all of their lives turning their back on a party that has, for too long, turned its back on them, and voting for change at the general election.

Labour Should Be Ashamed Of Their Record On Child Poverty

This morning's Journal carried the shameful news that there are 73,000 children in the North East classed as being in severe poverty. That is 14% of the children in the North East, compared to a national average of 13%. Nationwide, 1.7 million children are regarded as being in severe poverty - this number actually increased by 260,000 before the recession.

The is something about which the Government should be quite ashamed. I was brought up to believe that a Labour Government would simply not allow 1.7 million children to live under poverty. That the Government has allowed this to happen really is a damning indictment.

As Fergus Drake, from Save The Children, has suggested:

"It’s shocking that at a time when the country was experiencing unprecedented levels of wealth, the number of children living in severe poverty – we’re talking about children going without a winter coat, a bed and other day-to-day essentials – actually increased."

It is shocking that one of the richest countries in the world still has such a large number of children living in extreme poverty. That is why we need action to tackle both poverty and the causes of poverty. To quote Lloyd George, one of the greatest Prime Ministers our country has ever had:

"I cannot help hoping and believing that before this generation has passed away, we shall have advanced a great step towards that good time, when poverty, and the wretchedness and human degradation which always follows in its camp, will be as remote to the people of this country as the wolves which once infested its forests."

The Gap between The North East And Other Regions Has Grown Under Labour

Labour take the North East of England for granted. They regard us as their natural heartland and are happy to ignore us when it comes to major decisions about infrastructure and public spending. We have been worst hit by Gordon Brown's recession and, only last week, unemployment continued to rise both in the North East and in North Durham.

An organisation called the Centre for Cities has produced what it calls a 'Cities Outlook' . One of the stark findings from the report was that the gap between the North East and other parts of the country has grown over the past 13 years. This is illustrated by the chart above, taken from Page 18 of the Cities Outlook. It shows that, in the past 13 years the gap between the North East and the rest of the country has grown. As the report points out, between 1997 and 2008, real GVA in London increased by 61%, compared with only 32% in the North East.

Despite having 27 of the North East's 29 MPs, Labour have done nothing to help the North East economy. We need urgent action in our region to close the gap with other regions and overtake them. The vision and leadership that is needed is, quite simply, not being provided by a Labour elite that has lost touch with its roots and isn't doing enough for our region.

Labour's Betrayal Of The North East Over Unemployment

The unemployment figures dealt yet another blow to Labour's reputation in our region. Families across North Durham and across the North East are suffering from the devastating impact of unemployment and the Government is doing next to nothing about it.

Unemployment increased again in the North East last month. We have the highest rate of unemployment in the country. We have the highest rate of young people not in education, employment or training. That is the sad legacy of thirteen years of 'Labour' Government.

Labour have 27 out of the 29 North Eastern MPs. On their watch, we have fallen further behind other regions using almost every economic metric. Labour's policies have left the North East with the highest rate of unemployment in the country and have left the UK with the highest level of youth unemployment in Europe.

The Labour Party have taken us for granted for long enough. It is time that they made way for those of us who really care about our area, have ambition for our region and are ready to fight for the North East every step of the way.

Unemployment Up Again In North Durham. We Need Action To Create Jobs.

Unemployment has increased again in North Durham. The number of people claiming Job Seeker's Allowance now stands at 2,540, up from 2,515 a month ago. That is 27% higher than it was a year ago and a massive 112% higher than it was two years ago.

So many people I speak to in North Durham have been directly affected by unemployment. So many people I speak to feel that nowhere near enough is being done to tackle our jobs crisis.

We need to do more to tackle unemployment. We need to incentivise job creation and to more to help businesses create jobs. We need to create 100,000 new apprenticeships and training places; 50,000 more Further Education places and 10,000 more Higher Education places. We need to create a personalised careers advice system that genuinely helps people get back into work.

We need action to create jobs. It is clear that the Government's lack of action is impacting our area.

Keeping Cadburys British Should Be The First Step In A British Manufacturing Renaissance

I was greatly saddened to see that Cadburys, that iconic British owned manufacturer of chocolate, had agreed to a hostile takeover by American conglomerate Kraft. It is bad news for British manufacturing and, I fear, bad news for workers at Cadburys.

Lets take a look at the facts behind the takeover.

Cadburys is a great symbol of British manufacturing. It is an iconic, well run British firm, which has recorded very strong profits in recent years. From the beginnings of the 'model village', through to the fact that Cadburys is renowned for providing highly skilled manufacturing jobs, with good terms and conditions, Cadburys has always been a good employer and a very well managed firm. In the past four years, organic growth has averaged 6%. It is a real British manufacturing success story.

Kraft, on the other hand, is an American conglomerate struggling under a huge amount of debt. Long-term debt at Kraft has increased from 7.08 billion in 2006 to 18.58 billion in 2009. The suggested takeover of Cadbury is also to be debt financed. By any standards, Kraft is a less well run and less vibrant company than Cadburys. A takeover will shift control and direction of the firm from the UK to Illinois and will, alomst inevitably, have a detrimental impact upon Cadburys and British jobs. When Kraft has taken over American companies in recent years, it has re-located jobs to Mexico. I fear that this takeover will result in Cadburys workers in the UK losing their jobs.

The power of institutional shareholders is also reflected in this takeover bid. Having a great British manufacturing name fall victim to a hostile takeover is symbolic of an unbalanced economy in which institutional interests in the city can weaken a great manufacturing name.

That is why, in the words of Churchill, we need to make "finance less content, and industry more proud." Other major manufacturing nations would be fighting tooth and nail to save their major, iconic manufacturing companies. We should be fighting tooth and nail to keep Cadburys under British and independent control. We should not just stand meekly aside and let another British manufacturing giant fall into foreign hands. This should be done for the sake of British manufacturing, our long term economic health and viability, and jobs in the Cadburys plants in the UK.

Chester-le-Street Deserves Better Train Services

One of the big areas of controversy amongst people I talk to in the Chester-le-Street area is the quality of the train services for the town - particularly between Chester-le-Street and Newcastle.

As well as being a major economic base in its own right, Chester-le-Street is also home to thousands of commuters to Newcastle, Durham and other local cities. Why is it, then, that our local station is often so badly served?

All too often, the rush hour trains are so jam packed when they arrive at Chester-le-Street that it can be literally impossible for commuters to even board the train. Is it beyond the wit of the train companies to add even one extra carriage to trains that are jam packed on a daily basis? Services to and from Chester-le-Street are not as frequent as they could and should be.

Quite simply, Chester-le-Street deserves better train services.

Delighted About Suede's Reunion

Suede are reuniting for a one-off gig for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

It has been a good few months for Britpop reunions. I was there when Blur got back together at Glastonbury, which was quite an occasion.

I would argue that Suede were one of the most important bands of the nineties. The debut album kicked down the door and allowed Britpop to happen. Dog Man Star was an album of end to end, pure magnificence and Coming Up has nuggets of pure gold that reverberated around indie dancefloors. True the final two albums were disappointing but live, until the very end, they still packed one hell of a punch.

It's great news they are getting back together. Let's hope that Bernard Butler can get back involved somewhere along the line. And let's hope that it is more than a one off reunion. Hopefully Glastonbury in June awaits.

The People of North Durham Are Ready To Turn Their Back On Gordon Brown's Labour Party

As election day draws nearer, the anger of the people of North Durham about Gordon Brown’s Government shows no sign of abating.

People are, quite rightly, angry and frustrated at the way in which the North East has been consistently ignored by a Government that has 27 of the region's 29 MPs. People are angry and frustrated about the fact that a 'Labour' Government has presided over mass unemployment and widening inequality and has done next to nothing about either of them. People are angry and frustrated about the anti social behaviour that blights their day to day lives.

That is why the people of North Durham are ready to vote for change at the next election. Across North Durham, from Annfield Plain to Sacriston, from Ouston to Stanley, people who have voted Labour all of their lives are telling me that they will not be voting for Gordon Brown next time round. They are ready to vote for a local candidate, prepared to stand up for our area.

Please Do What You Can To Help In Haiti

The situation in Haiti is utterly horrifying. Estimates now have the number of dead at between 50,000 and 100,000.

Please, if you can, help the DEC earthquake appeal to help with the relief effort.

Details of the appeal are below.

DEC HAITI EARTHQUAKE APPEAL

Your donation can save a life

Please donate any time day or night

0370 60 60 900

www.dec.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 1062638

On behalf of DEC members: ActionAid, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Save the Children, Oxfam, Tearfund, World Vision UK.

Gordon Brown Must Appear Before The Iraq Inquiry - Before The Election

The Iraq War was the biggest foreign policy decision made by a British Prime Minister since Suez. Its botched execution and a disastrous failure to 'win the peace' also made it was also one of the biggest foreign policy catastrophes since Suez.

I am in awe of the bravery and brilliance of our brave troops who have served us in Iraq and Afganistan. I am deeply saddened by the fact that our brave troops have been let down by poor leadership and poor planning from the Government.

It is now clear that Gordon Brown was intimately involved both in the decision to go to war and in the failure to ensure that post war plans were even close to adequate.

Evidence to the Iraq War Inquiry so far has made Brown's role quite clear. He was not the semi detached observer of events that he likes to portray himself as. Instead, he was a key player in the decisions around Iraq.

It is right that all of the key players in the decision to go to war are being called before the Iraq inquiry. As one of these key players, Gordon Brown must also be called to give evidence before the inquiry. And this should happen before the General Election. Gordon Brown should not be able to let political expediency and electoral timing prevent him appearing before the inquiry.

Please Do What You Can To Help In Haiti

The situation in Haiti is truly awful. Many thousands of people have died and tens of thousands more have been left without homes, shelter or security.

The Disasters Emergency Committee, composed of 13 British NGOs, have set up an appeal to provide humanitarian aid.

Donations to the appeal can be made by calling 0370 60 60 900 or visiting www.dec.org.uk

Ricky Hatton Has Nothing Left To Prove

Ricky Hatton has just announced that he is making a comeback to the ring.

Ricky Hatton has nothing left to prove. He has been one of the greatest British sportsmen of the past decade. I have been lucky enough to have watched quite a few of his fights at the MEN arena in Manchester. I followed his World championship triumphs and him being soundly beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jnr. He also had a good chat to a few of us at the World Darts Championships a few years ago.

But there is often a golden rule in boxing that old fighters should go out at the top and shouldn't try to come back.

I hope Hatton's comeback is a triumph. I also hope that he remembers that he has nothing left to prove to the British sporting nation.

Time To Say Enough Is Enough On Anti Social Behaviour

I have consistently said that not enough is being done by the Government about anti-social behaviour.

According to the Durham Constabulary web site:

"several residents and retailers [have] contacted Durham County Council and the police about ongoing problems with anti-social behaviour. "

This, of course, begs the question of why the local Police have had to be prompted to act about a problem that has been clear and prevalent locally for months. Indeed, no subject is mentioned more to me on the doorsteps than anti social behaviour.

Like most of this Government's failures, the problem with anti-social behaviour affects ordinary hard working people the most. I have spoken to hundreds of people who have had their routine disturbed by the menace of anti social behaviour.

It is time to say that enough is enough.

It is time to adopt a zero tolerance approach to the anti social behaviour that blights the lives of so many people. We need to give the Police real powers to tackle anti social behaviour.

We need to stop anti social behaviour making life a misery for the hard working majority.

The Labour Party Has Betrayed The North East's Young People

It is testament to the Government's complacency and lack of action that the UK has the highest rate of youth unemployment in Europe. There are over a million 16-24 year olds not in education, employment or training. This is a betrayal of a generation of young people. The Government should be quite ashamed of these figures.

Young people in the North East has suffered particularly badly. 9.8% of 16-18 year olds in the North East are not in education, employment or training. This is far higher than in any other region and 70% higher than in London and the South East.

Frankly, this is not good enough. Once again, our region has been let down by a complacent Labour Party and a local Labour elite who aren't doing enough to create jobs and training opportunities for young people.

That is why I'm campaigning for the creation of 100,000 more apprenticeships and training places; 50,000 more Further Education places and 10,000 additional university places. That is why I'm campaigning for more to be done to create jobs and for better careers advice for everybody. Frankly, the young people of North Durham deserve so much better than an out of touch Labour party.

The British People Feel Badly Let Down By Brown

It is quite clear that the people of North Durham and people across the country are feeling badly let down by Labour. I have lost count of the number of lifelong Labour voters I have met who feel badly let down and will be voting for change this year.

A poll in this morning's Sun summed up quite how badly let down people feel. It showed that 44% of voters believe that Labour have done a good job in the past thirteen years and only 17% believe it has done a good job. It also found that:

• 44% of people say they are worse off than when Labour came to power, compared to 28% who feel better off;
• 67% of people blame the Government for the rise in unemployment, compared to only 29% who do not;
• 44% have either been unemployed or had a member of their immediate family who has been unemployed in the past two years;
• 34% feel that the state education system has got worse since Labour came to power, compared to 26% who think that it has got better;
• 53% are worried that immigration will cause problems for them;
• 49% believe that crime has gone up, whereas only 15% feel that it has gone down

We all remember the hope that existed in May of 1997. Labour haven't delivered on their promise. They have delivered an economy with higher unemployment, a society with greater inequality and higher anti social behaviour and a country where the North East is increasingly ignored by Government and let down by the MPs who are supposed to represent us.

This needs to change.

The Last Thing The North East Needs Is Five More Years Of Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown has promised to serve a 'full term' in the unlikely event that he wins the next election.

Can the country really put up with another five years of this? I think not.

Does the country really want a Prime Minister in Gordon Brown whose party have lost faith in him. Do they really want a Prime Minister whose director of election strategy and Cabinet Minister said about him before the bottled election in 2007:

"We have spent 10 years working with this guy, and we don’t actually like him. 'We have always thought that the longer the British public had to get to know him, the less they would like him as well."

He was of course right with that prediction.

Another five years of Brown would be catastrophic for the country and catastrophic for the North East.

Indeed, his vow to serve a "full term" sounds more like a threat than a promise.

Labour Has No Vision and No Ambition For The North East's Economy

I have a piece in today's Northern Echo talking about the need for a vision for a prosperous North Eastern economy. Labour have completely failed to articulate or achieve a vision for the North Eastern economy after 13 years in power. Indeed, these 13 years have seen our region fall further behind other English regions using almost every economic metric. We need to set out a vision for our area to be an economic trailblazer again - so that we have an economic future to match our glorious past. Labour seem happy to talk about the past but have nothing to add when it comes to the future.

The text of my letter can be found via the following link:

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/letters/4840635.Regional_progress/

I have reproduced it in full below:

THE response by Grahame Morris (Northern Echo, Jan 1) to my previous letter (Northern Echo, Dec 28) about the need to do more to create jobs sums up the lack of vision of an out-of-touch Labour Party.

I was born and brought up in the North-East and am proud of our industrial past. However, what we need now is a vision and ambition to build a regional economy with a golden future to match our glorious past.

On virtually every economic measure we have fallen further behind every other English region since 1997. We lag behind all other regions in terms of GDP per head and gross weekly pay, as well as having the highest unemployment rate. This is the legacy of 13 years of Labour government.

We have the industrial legacy, skills, natural resources and people to be an economic powerhouse.

We can, and should, be global leaders in clean technology, green industry and high-tech, niche manufacturing. The only thing holding us back is lack of vision and leadership from a complacent Labour elite.

Labour may not be capable of articulating a vision and ambition for our region, but I am. I’m standing as a proud North-Easterner. I believe in our region and in our potential to be an economic colossus again.

Snow Causing School Closures and Traffic Disruption in County Durham - Useful Links For Up To Date Information

The snow is continuing to cause havoc in County Durham, with 88 schools in the county being closed.

The Journal has a list of all the schools closed in the county, as well as updated traffic news, here:

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2010/01/07/school-closures-61634-25528474/

The Northern Echo have a similar list here:

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4840274.Latest_school_closures__Friday/

GO North East are updating information about their buses in the area here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gateshead/Go-North-East/215880875709

As Durham Runs Short Of Salt and Grit - Government Ignored A Report Suggesting Action For Five Months

Durham County Council has announced that it is going to restrict the use of salt on the roads "due to the current under-supply and future uncertainty regarding the supply of salt." Across the North East and across the country, local councils are running desparately short of salt as the very cold snap continues.

It seems that the Government has been sitting on a report that was published in August 2009, about how local authorities should respond to cold weather. Government Ministers didn't bother to respond to the report until 15th December - when it became clear that bad weather was on the way.

The report contained 19 recommendations, which could have meant that the shortages and chaos across the country could have been alleviated. It is a shame that the Government sat on its hands for five months and didn't do anything that could have helped with the supply of salt.

If Gordon Brown's Party Has No Confidence In His Ability To Be Prime Minister, Why Should The People Of North Durham?

The Labour Party really is in an unholy mess.

Once again, senior figures in the Party have made clear that they have absolutely no confidence in Gordon Brown as Prime Minister. Once again, Cabinet Members have made clear in private (according to multiple sources) that they have no confidence in Gordon Brown as Prime Minister. Once again, Cabinet Ministers have shown that they do not have guts to 'resolve' the issue of the Labour leadership.

So we have a Prime Minister without the confidence of his party and we have a Cabinet who have been shown, time and time again, to be devoid of guts - all 'off the record' talk and no action.

The people of North Durham will be right to ask one very straightforward question after todays events - 'If his own Party don't even have confidence in Gordon Brown's ability as Prime Minister, then why on earth should we?'

Heavy Snow In North East For Weeks. National Media Panics As 'Snow Showers Head South'

We all know that the national media has an inherent South Eastern bias. I have blogged about it before here. Nowhere does this become clearer than the hysterical panic that grips the media when London has more than a flake of snow.

The North East has had heavy snow, on and off, for over two weeks now. The snow in the past few days has closed roads, closed schools and affected transport links. Durham Tees Valley Airport was closed yesterday due to an icy runway. Amidst all of this, the national, London based media didn't feel fit to give the story any more than a passing mention.

All seemed to change this morning though. The main media outlets had as their headline story the fact that 'snow showers are heading South'. Doubtless, if snow does hit London and the Home Counties, elements of the national, Southern based media will be on the the verge of calling for a state of emergency. Perhaps, one of these days, the national media might rebalance itself from its Southern bias. That will, of course, only happen when the North East is represented by MPs willing to stand up for the region and assert their North Eastern pride.

Strengthening The NHS and Improving Health Outcomes For The Poorest

I think the NHS is a great British institution. I'm forever in its debt for all of the care it has given to me my family. I'm perpetually humbled by the skill and dedication of everybody who works within the NHS. I believe in an NHS free at the point of delivery and an NHS that delivers the best health outcomes in the world. Today's speech by David Cameron made clear that a Conservative Government will be strongly committed to making the NHS even better.

That is why the Conservatives are ring-fencing health spending. It is why we are dedicated to genuinely creating a patient centred NHS - providing detailed information to patients so patients can be clear about the standard of services provided and can make more informed decisions than ever about their treatment. It is why we will free professionals in the NHS from process driven targets.

We will also ensure that the health inequalities that have grown worse under Labour are remedied. Under Labour, the difference in life expectancy between the richest and poorest in society has grown. The gap is now larger than it has been since the 19th Century. Public health funding will be weighted so that extra resources go to the poorest areas with the worst health outcomes. This equals real and decisive action to tackle the health inequalities that Labour have allowed to widen

Polly Toynbee Pinpoints Labour's Failure To Help The Less Well Off

I don't always agree with what Polly Toynbee writes. Although I do share her political priorities of improving social mobility and reducing poverty. Her column in yesterday's Guardian was spot on about Labour's failure and the failure of Gordon Brown. Of particular importance is her analysis of how Labour's record affects the less well off in society:

Growth in his [Gordon Brown's] time was profoundly unfairly shared – over half the population saw virtually no growth at all; GDP per capita is a fraudulent measure that disguises how almost all growth went to the top 10%, and most to the top 1%... Middle Britain did badly however hard they worked and "played by the rules". Whose rules?... Brown cannot admit the monumental error he and Ed Balls made in their economic policies because there are some mistakes just too big to apologise for.

This comes only a few months after she damned Labour's record on social mobility:

"on Labour's watch, class has become more rigid, destiny for most babies is decided at birth, and the incomes of rich and poor families have drawn further apart."

Polly Toynbee was one of Gordon Brown's biggest cheerleaders. That she now notes the level of Labour's failure to help those people who had the highest hopes of a Labour Government says so much.

Labour have betrayed ordinary, working class people. They have betrayed anybody who dares to aspire. That is why so many people in North Durham, who have put their faith in the Labour Party for so long, are ready to vote for real change at the next election.

If elected, I will work unstintingly to ensure that priority is given to policies aimed at improving social mobility, helping people fulfil their aspirations and fighting poverty. I will work to ensure that the advantages of birth play an ever diminishing role in British life. The Government have had thirteen years to turn the situation round and have failed utterly. It is now time for the failed Labour establishment in the North East to step aside for those of us with the ideas and determination to create a new wave of social mobility and aspiration.

2010 - The Year Of Change In North Durham

A very Happy New Year to everybody in North Durham and across the North East.

This will be a massive year for North Durham. This a year in which the people of North Durham and the North East will be able to bring about real change. so many people I speak to in Chester-le-Street, Stanley, Sacriston, Annfield Plain and across the constituency have had enough of being taken for granted by an out of touch Labour Party. Local people are sick of our area and our region being ignored.

That is why I'm standing on a platform of real change for the better in North Durham. Unlike local Labour politicians, I will stand up for North Durham and stand up for the North East. I will be speaking up about the issues that really matter to local people.

I'm looking forward to 2010. It will be a year of real change for the better in North Durham.