Sajid Javid chosen to represent Bromsgrove

At a meeting of the Bromsgrove Conservative Association Sajid Javid has been selected as the Conservative candidate to represent the people of Bromsgrove at the General Election.

Mr Javid said: “It is a great privilege to have been chosen to champion Bromsgrove and its residents at the upcoming General Election.

“The effects of Gordon Brown’s recession are still being felt in our town and across the West Midlands and I look forward to working with the local community and the Bromsgrove Conservative Association to bring around a Conservative government and the change our country so desperately needs.”

Conservative candidate chosen to represent Birmingham Ladywood

At a meeting of the Ladywood Conservative Association, Nusrat Ghani has been selected as the Conservative candidate to champion the people of Birmingham Ladywood at the next General Election.

Ms Ghani said: “It is an honour to have been chosen to represent Ladywood’s residents at the upcoming General Election.

“This is an exciting time for Ladywood as Birmingham city centre continues to transform thanks to flagships projects such as the new library and the proposals released yesterday for the regeneration of Paradise Circus.

“However, Ladywood is suffering from high levels of unemployment and is one of the areas worst hit by the effects of Gordon Brown’s recession and I look forward to working with local residents and the Ladywood Conservative Association to bring around a Conservative Government and implement the right policies to address these issues and get our region working again.”

Dominic Fisher, Chairman of Ladywood Conservatives, said: “I am delighted that the association have chosen such a strong candidate for the forthcoming General Election. In Nusrat we have found a local candidate with the experience, dedication and passion to truly represent the entire community in Ladywood”

Jesse Norman backs Conservative plans for fast broadband roll-out in rural areas

Conservative parliamentary candidate for Hereford Jesse Norman has strongly backed a Conservative policy commitment to roll out superfast broadband services, with a special focus on rural areas, over the next few years.

The Conservatives have unveiled plans to help make the UK the first major European country that has superfast broadband in the majority of homes by 2017.
Jeremy Hunt, the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said the UK is "currently one of the slowest countries in the developed world for broadband", but with the Conservatives it would become one of the fastest. He said Britain’s digital and creative industries must have a proper communications infrastructure if they are to become world beaters. Under the new plans "high speeds will be available not just in our cities but across the rural areas that have been left behind for too long".

The Conservatives plan to create a regulatory framework to ensure the roll-out of superfast broadband at speeds of up to 100mbps to the majority of homes across the UK by 2017. This could involve either mobile or fixed line solutions and will be significantly faster than the Government’s proposed target. It will open up BT’s ducts and poles to competition, an approach which has

Jesse Norman has vigorously led the campaign for better local broadband services in Herefordshire over several years.

He said: "This policy announcement is terrific news for Herefordshire, because it includes a specific mechanism to ensure that new broadband services reach rural areas.

"If the market does not deliver access in rural areas, the proposal is to use the proportion of the BBC licence fee dedicated to digital switchover to help finance superfast broadband roll out after 2012.

"Broadband is vital to the long-term development of Herefordshire, but at present coverage is often terrible or non-existent.

"The current government’s plans all but ignore rural areas such as ours. But now we have a real and far more credible alternative."

Jesse Norman highlights importance of rural broadband during visit to Allpay wireless pilot in Kingstone

Local campaigner and Conservative parliamentary candidate for Hereford Jesse Norman saw what could be the future of broadband in Herefordshire last week, when he visited the Allpay wireless broadband pilot scheme in Kingstone.

He toured the Allpay broadband technical centre with their CEO Tony Killeen and tested the system personally, before visiting the antenna site located on the top of St Michael and All Angels Church. The new network offers up to 2 megabit broadband.

Jesse launched a major initiative to develop broadband access in Herefordshire in May 2008, when he convened two seminars on the different possible technologies and the opportunities they offered for local people and businesses. At the same time, he published his "Wireless Herefordshire" discussion paper on the same topic.

Only last week Jesse encouraged Peter Luff MP, Chair of the influential House of Commons Select Committee on Business, Innovation and Skills, to push for wider rural access to broadband, at a breakfast event in Hereford.

Speaking afterwards, Jesse said, "Herefordshire is already a centre for creative people and businesses. But we badly need better infrastructure, including better telecoms.

"The sad fact is that huge parts of the county lack any decent access to broadband at all. The government is preoccupied with high speed communications in city centres, when it should be equally focused on decent access in rural counties such as this one.

"Allpay have declared themselves very happy with the Kingstone trial, and are now moving forward with plans to develop further coverage across the county. There is thus a huge opportunity for local people and local communities to form user groups and approach Allpay with a view to joining their network."

Those interested in learning more about getting wireless broadband should write to Jesse at 49 Broomy Hill Hereford HR4 0LJ, or email him on jesse4hereford@gmail.com.

Marcus Jones calls for residents to join ‘community clean-up’ in Attleborough

Nuneaton residents are being called on to put some time back to their community. Marcus Jones, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Nuneaton, is leading a team of local volunteers on a ‘community clean-up’ on Sunday, January 31st and is looking for more people to join them.

Marcus and his team will be focusing their efforts on one of the town’s worst litter hotspots, which was brought to Marcus’ attention by local residents. The private land at Park Street (to the rear of industrial units in Holman Way) has been the cause of numerous complaints from people unhappy at the state of the area.

Marcus, who has seen first-hand the positive effects social action projects have had in Bosnia, said he wanted to bring the same community-based focus to Nuneaton.

He said: “Putting something back into our community is so important and since my experiences working in Bosnia I have wanted to do something for my home town. After hearing the complaints from local residents I contacted the landlord who consented for the clean-up to take place.

“Now I am looking for as many local residents as possible who can spare a little time to help us transform an area, which has quite frankly been forgotten.”

Wyre Forest Conservatives Step in to Help Save Stourport Sorting Office

Stourport-on-Severn faces more cuts to postal services just 14 months after the town lost one of its local post offices. But this time, it is the local sorting office that faces the axe.

Local staff are worried that the local sorting and delivery office could close as soon as April, with services moving to the sorting office in Kidderminster’s Crossley Retail Park. The fears come after a manager was put in place to run a feasibility study and cost analysis.

The Stourport office is an important local resource for the town. An average of 174 parcels are collected by local residents every day, whilst 48 local businesses and residents collect their mail each morning. Finally there are 18 PO boxes. From April onwards, local residents and businesses will have to travel into Kidderminster to collect their mail and parcels, increasing local congestion, and putting greater strain on businesses already suffering under the recession.

Twenty-eight people work from the sorting office and for the members of staff who are based in the office itself, the future looks bleak. Meanwhile the post men and women who are based there will have to operate from Kidderminster.

Mark Garnier, Wyre Forest’s Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman said: “This is bad news for Stourport for three reasons. Firstly it puts a greater strain on local small businesses, which rely on collecting their mail in the morning, at a time when we should be giving them more help not less. Secondly, it increases the burden on our already congested roads, forcing post office staff and customers into their cars to get to Kidderminster to do a job they currently walk to.

"Finally, it is yet another resource being taken away from Stourport. We should be bringing more resources to the town; not taking them away. We should be making the town more attractive to attract businesses and employment; not running it down.

“Local Conservatives are fully behind the campaign to save this important local resource.”

To view a video of the campaign launch log onto www.markgarnier.co.uk/

More support injected into Solihull hospital campaign

Following last week’s bombshell that Solihull’s maternity will be downgraded in less than three month’s time, local hospital campaigners have injected a boost into the campaign by starting a new online petition and Facebook Group to ‘Save Solihull Hospital’.

Healthcare watchdog and prospective Conservative MP Maggie Throup, who has been leading the campaign to save the maternity services, said: “Last week’s maternity news has brought great public comment, as much in sorry as in anger.

“Many Solihull residents have posted comments on the Facebook group and contacted me directly to express their support for our campaign which is now spreading out even further.

“If we lose full maternity services, what message does it put out about our hospital? I now fear for its future and as so many of us did ten years ago, I will be campaigning to ‘Save Solihull Hospital’.

“Residents can show their support by signing the online petition at www.ipetitions.com/my/petitions/24738 or joining the new Facebook Group ‘Save Solihull Hospital’ which has already attracted over 700 members.”

Jesse Norman welcomes Peter Luff MP to Hereford

Local campaigner and Conservative candidate Jesse Norman welcomed a key Westminster figure to Herefordshire last week.

Peter Luff MP, Chairman of the House of Commons Business Select Committee, spoke to local businesspeople at a breakfast at Saxty’s in Hereford. Mr Luff, recently described by The Times as "fiercely independent", has the job of holding to account the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, led by Lord Mandelson.

In a wide-ranging talk, Mr Luff highlighted the importance of helping small and medium-sized businesses to grow even in the current difficult economic context. He said it was vital to reduce the burden of taxation and regulation over time, and to recognise the value of manufacturing, given that Britain remains the 6th largest manufacturer in the world.

But successful entrepreneurship required high skills, and so flourishing schools, colleges and universities, he said. And it involved a measure of risk. It was absurd and counterproductive for any government to think it could somehow abolish risk, and the result was throttling small businesses with new regulations.

Commenting afterwards, Jesse said: "It is great to have Peter Luff in Hereford, given his influence and insights into economic policymaking.

"Among other things, his select committee is considering the current Digital Britain report on broadband speed. In 2008 I published a consultation paper on the potential for new wireless broadband services in the county. And I have strongly pressed now for the committee to come out in favour of wider access to decent broadband, rather than the Government’s current approach which ignores rural areas and focuses on large cities.

"Present policy on broadband has failed disastrously in Herefordshire, where the service is poor in Hereford city and often non-existent in rural areas. Proper broadband access is essential for local business and the local economy."

With more businesses having gone bankrupt during this recession than in any previous downturn, the Conservatives have also announced new policies to encourage enterprise and make it easier to start new businesses.

Rugby Parliamentary Candidate launches bid for better broadband

Rugby’s Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, Mark Pawsey has this week launched a new campaign to bring a comprehensive high-speed broadband internet connection throughout the Rugby constituency. This campaign has been launched his new, redesigned, website www.markpawsey.org.uk.

The campaign includes uses a short, simple but effective survey to assess peoples Internet speed which can be found at www.markpawsey.org.uk/campaigns.

Speaking about the campaign, Mark said: “We all know that, in this day and age, the internet is an invaluable tool for keeping in touch, making business transactions, buying and accessing the latest news, information and headlines. It is important for both businesses and individuals in Rugby to have access to the best possible resources in this increasingly digital age. Our indication is that across Rugby the speed and quality of internet connection is currently variable.”
“This is a relevant issue for lots of people every day and I know first-hand the frustration and problems that people face as a consequence of poor internet access. As a country, it is important that we are at the sharp end of technological initiatives and these will be essential to take us out of recession and on to new economic growth.”
“The aim of our campaign is to build up a picture of the internet speed in and around Rugby, with a view to ensuring that resources are targeted to provide a consistently good service across the constituency. I will welcome the help and support of the people of Rugby by taking part in our survey in ensuring that this aspiration can become a reality.”

Andrew Mitchell MP welcomes expansion plans for Yardley manufacturers

Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow Minister for Birmingham, has paid a visit to one of the city’s leading manufacturers. Joined by Conservative parliamentary candidate for Yardley, Meirion Jenkins, Andrew Mitchell met with Charles Horsfall, owner and CEO of Yardley-based Webster and Horsfall – manufacturers of the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable – to discuss the company’s expansion plans.

Charles Horsfall, CEO of Webster and Horsfall, said: “Webster and Horsfall has been making wire and cable in Yardley since 1720, having re-invented ourselves several times along the way. We are now embarking upon a 10 year investment program to modernise our plant and equipment and introduce new products with a higher element of value added.

“Part of our existing site will become a new industrial park, thereby attracting further employment to the area. I was delighted that Andrew, as Shadow Minister for Birmingham, was able to take such a close interest in our plans.”

Meirion Jenkins, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Birmingham Yardley, said: “Unemployment in Yardley has risen by over 44 per cent since Labour came to power and there are now 14 people chasing every job in the constituency.”

“I trained in Midlands manufacturing and feel very strongly that we have to re-invigorate manufacturing. Since 1997 we’ve gone backwards, with output down 10 per cent. With a program of real training for the young and financial incentives for business to create employment, I will prioritise working with local firms to increase growth and employment.”

Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow Minister for Birmingham, added: “Local businesses such as Webster and Horsfall, who play a vital role in the region’s economy, need more protection from the economic downturn, not less. Yet more businesses have gone bankrupt during Labour’s recession than in any previous recession. “

“That is why the Conservatives under David Cameron are committed to supporting business and creating new jobs and opportunities by getting credit flowing again through our National Loan Guarantee Scheme, by creating 22,500 new apprenticeships in the West Midlands and by reducing tax on small businesses.”