Day 6 - We Must Do All That We Can To Tackle Youth Unemployment

It has been a glorious day today in North Durham. Hopefully this sunny weather will continue all the way through to May 6th.

One of the biggest tragedies of Gordon Brown's recession is the impact it has had on young people. We now have the highest level of youth unemployment in Europe. Over a million young people are not in education, employment or training. This is a national disgrace. The Conservatives have made it clear that a key priority in Government will be tackling youth unemployment.

200,000 new apprenticeships will be created over two years, as well as 100,000 extra work pairings and 100,000 additional Further Education places. Young people will also be given expert careers advice and quickly assigned to relevant training courses.

We need to ensure that the young people who are out of work because of the recession do not become a 'lost generation'. We must do all that we can to make sure that out of work young people are given every opportunity to fulfil their potential. Anything less would be a betrayal of our nation's future.

Please feel free to add comments. If you would like to donate to my campaign, you cn do so via the following link: http://tinyurl.com/y9whlnx

Day Four - Time To Make A Move Towards Genuine Fairness

Yet another great day of canvassing in North Durham. The weather has behaved itself so far in the campaign and there has been very sunny response on the doorstep.

People across North Durham tell me that the Labour Party that has governed for the past 13 years isn't the Labour Party that they grew up with. Since 1997, the economic gap between the North East and other regions has grown. In the past 2 and a half years, unemployment has increased by 140% in North Durham. In the same time, the gap between rich and poor has widened and social mobility has stalled. Manufacturing industry has been weakened, while the Labour Government was busy unbalancing the economy in favour of super rich bankers in the City.

I have already written about the obscene reward packages in the banking sector. This is particularly obscene given that bankers still owe the taxpayer money for rescuing the banks from their folly.

There are also other elements of unfairness and inequality in society that a Government must address. One of these is the discrepancy in public sector pay, with the people at the top of public sector organisations being paid a ludicrous amount out of the public purse and a multiple considerably higher than the lowest paid people in that organisation. This kind of unfairness and inequality needs to change.

That is why the pay of public sector chiefs should be linked to the lowest paid person within their organisation. That is why David Cameron announced today that a Fair Pay Review will be established to consider pay inequality in the public sector. The Fair Pay Review will be asked to introduce a pay multiple so that no public sector boss can earn over twenty times more than the lowest paid person in their organisation.

The country has become less fair and less equal under a Labour Government. It is time to take some steps to create a society that is fairer and more equal.

Please feel free to leave comments. If you want to donate to the campaign for change in North Durham, you can do so via the following link: http://tinyurl.com/y9whlnx

The Best Sporting Weekend Of The Year?

The first weekend of the election campaign also happens to be one of the vintage sporting weekends of the season. Timing of door knocking has to be fairly carefully watched this weekend.

The US Masters at Augusta has been even more keenly anticipated than usual this year, with the might Tiger Woods making his long awaited comeback to golf following his much publicised personal problems. I have always said that Tiger should be judged by his golf alone and I have no doubt that he will let his golf do the talking this weekend. The Masters always creates sensational drama and excitement and I have little doubt that will also be the case this weekend. Tiger winning would be quite a story.

If that isn't enough, it is also the FA Cup Semi Finals this weekend. Sadly, there is no North Eastern representation (on the subject of which, congratulations to Newcastle for their promotion back to the Premiership) but some top notch sporting excitement is promised. Surely, Portsmouth making the final is this terrible year for them would be quite something...

If all that isn't enough, the Grand National takes place at Aintree this weekend. A tremendous spectacle and , although lacking the quality of the Gold Cup, certainly makes up for it in terms of excitement. Watch out for the number of horse racing analogies used by political reporters on Grand National day. Also, watch out for a politically themed winner doing what 'Party Politics' did in 1992!

Day 3: Protecting And Creating Jobs Must Be Our Priority

A great day of campaigning so far today in North Durham. An excellent response on the doorsteps, with plenty of lifelong Labour voters telling me that they were ready to vote for change and vote for a progressive Tory candidate, with a real passion for the North East and the area.

So many people mention the major problems that unemployment is causing in the area. Since late 2007, unemployment in the constituency has increased by about 140%. Almost every family in the constituency has been directly or indirectly affected by the unemployment caused by Gordon Brown's recession.

We need to do all that we can to protect jobs and create jobs in the area. That most certainly does not mean increasing the costs on business at a time like this, which is what the Government's proposed National Insurance increase will do. I have spoken to small business owners who are very concerned about the potential effect that the National Insurance increase will have on their business and their worries about the effect it will have on jobs.

That is why we need to ensure that Gordon Brown's proposed National Insurance rise must not happen in full. The potential impact on jobs will be devastating. And job creation must be a major priority in North Durham, so badly hit by unemployment in the past few years.

Feel free to add comments. If you would like to donate to my campaign for change, you can do so via the following link: http://tinyurl.com/y9whlnx

Empowering The People

Day Two of the campaign and a great day of canvassing and leafletting, along with a visit to a Working Men's Club for refreshment and a really good discussion with local small business owners. People have had enough of being taken for granted by a local establishment and are ready for an MP who puts the North East and local people first.

This election is all about empowering and trusting the people, as part of the wholesale reform that our politics needs. That is why I'm enthusiastic about the idea that local people will be given the power to recall and MP they don't feel is performing or they are not happy with. This will keep all MP's on their toes and ensure that they always focus upon serving the constituents who sent them to Westminster.

This is only part of a wholesale political and constitutional reform package that we need in this country. Empowering the people needs to be the hallmark of this political reform.

With four weeks to go, there is a real desire for change on the doorstep in North Durham. Please feel free to add comments. If you want to donate to my campaign for change, you can do so via the following link: http://tinyurl.com/y9whlnx

As The Campaign Launches - This Is What I'm Fighting For

At long last, the campaign is under way. The chance to deliver radical, progressive change to North Durham is here. I have spoken to thousands of people over the past few months in North Durham - all hungry for change and I look forward to speaking to thousands more over the next few weeks.

During this campaign, I will be fighting on behalf of:

• The thousands of people across North Durham who have become unemployed because of Gordon Brown's recession. Unemployment is up by 140% over the past few years. If elected, I will take real action to tackle the jobs crisis, create new jobs and make North Durham and the North East the centre of the green industrial revolution.
• The hard working people across North Durham who are the victims of anti social behaviour, which affects our area so badly. The old lady I spoke to who is scared to leave her house after dark. The single mother who is terrified of the anti social behaviour in her neighbourhood. The local angling club who cannot go to their traditional 'spot' because of anti social behaviour.
• The proud North Easterners, such as myself, who feel taken for granted and ignored. I have made quite clear that, if elected, I will ALWAYS put the North East and North Durham first.
• The local people who, quite rightly, want and expect first rate public services for all. That is why I'm supporting year on year spending increases on the NHS. That is why I want to protect local GPs' surgeries against Labour cuts. That is why I'm supporting the strengthening and protection of local Sure Start centres.
• The pensioners who have seen their savings and pensions decimated by the Government. I will be fighting to ensure that pensioners get a fair deal and that, at last, the link between pensions and earnings is re-established.
• The local people who have seen the Labour Party they were brought up in betray their interests. They have seen a Labour Government support super rich bankers at the expense of manufacturing industry. They have seen a Labour Government preside over mass unemployment and widening inequality. I was brought up with the strong values and instincts of our area. I'm proud of those values. I will be the candidate fighting for progressive, radical values in North Durham in this election.

This campaign is not about old style party politics. I am standing up for the thousands of people ready to vote for change and vote for a Conservative candidate for the first time in their lives.

I will be updating this blog on a daily basis. Please feel free to add comments.

If you want to donate to the campaign for change in North Durham, you can do so via the following link: http://tinyurl.com/y9whlnx

Helping Hard Working People and Reversing Labour's Tax On Jobs

Gordon Brown's National Insurance rise is a tax rise that hit ordinary working people the hardest. It is a tax rise that hits companies and risks jobs at the same time as the recovery is so fragile. That is why the CBI described the rise as a "serious mistake [that] will hold back job creation and growth". The Small Business Federation described it as an "attack on jobs" that "will cause deeper unemployment."

When we need to be doing all we can to encourage job creation, throwing a tax rise on ordinary, hard working people and their jobs is both economically ridiculous and morally wrong.

That is why a Conservative Government will stop the planned National insurance increases for anybody earning less than £35,000. This means that 7 out of 10 working people will be week better off, with the poorest benefiting the most. Nobody will be worse off.

Reversing Labour's tax on jobs will be crucial to helping hard working people and encouraging job creation.