Forthcoming Events

Just a quick note to tell you about some exciting events we have coming up in the next couple of months that are open to all, members and non-members alike. For more info and booking details on all the forthcoming fundraising events we are running here in Medway along with a general guide to the multitude of local festivals taking place in Rochester and Strood over the summer, make sure you visit my Events page - Click Here

On April 30th we are hosting the first in a new series of political discussion groups with the first theme being 'The EU: A Conservative Perspective'. Our guest speaker for the evening will be former Gravesham MP Jacques Arnold and tickets are priced at a very reasonable £5 per person which includes a light buffet. The venue is Strood Conservative Club, 40 Cuxton Road. Given the forthcoming European elections we are expecting interest to be high for this one, so don't delay in booking as spaces are limited.

And on 11th May I am hosting a special evening at the Shozna Indian restaurant in Maidstone Road, Rochester. This restaurant is a real favourite of mine and has been serving up award-winning food for many years. Tickets for this event are priced at a very reasonable £20 per person and reservations must be made by 7 May due to expected high demand. You can find out more about the Shozna restaurants by visiting their websites - Click Here

And finally, on 21st May we will be holding the second in our new series of political discussion groups, again being hosted at the Strood Conservative Club. Our guest leader for this evening's debate will be Adam Holloway, the current MP for Gravesham. Tickets are again priced at a recession-busting £5 and all are welcome, but make sure you book early to avoid disappointment.

Remember, by attending events like these you are not only helping the efforts of your local Conservative party, you are also helping to bring about the change this country really needs. Fighting an election against this incompetent Labour government doesn't come cheap so any help you can give us is very much appreciated.

Booking Info and More Events - Click Here

Forthcoming Events

It's Time To Back-Up The Law Abiding Majority

Chris Grayling has spoken about the urgent need to "tackle the blight of antisocial behaviour" in order to fix our Broken Society.

The Shadow Home Secretary highlighted Home Office statistics showing three million acts of antisocial behaviour recorded last year, adding, "And that's only a tiny fraction."

Pointing to the tragic events in Doncaster this week as an example of "a society that is losing its way", Chris said, "They are only the latest and probably the worst example of a whole series of incidents where children are killing or maiming other children."

We have proposed:

- Strengthening the hands of the police to deal with the problems
- Introducing grounding orders for young troublemakers, which can be easily enforced
- Making those who commit serious acts of antisocial behaviour pay for the damage and do community work.

Chris said, "Antisocial behaviour will be punished and the payback will be fast and tough."

And he stressed, "Too little has been done in the past decade. Under a Conservative Government that will change."

It's Time To Back-Up The Law Abiding Majority

Wishing You A Happy And Peaceful Easter

I would just like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and peaceful Easter.

If you're not getting away for the weekend and are stuck for something to do then why not take yourself and the family to the Historic Dockyard in Chatham to enjoy the Medway Festival of Steam which is being held on the 12th and 13th April. I might just see you there.

Hundreds of spectacular steam and transport exhibits! Favourites like vintage cars and classic motorbikes, commercial and military vehicles, steam traction engines and locomotives to name just a few. This year's festival, supported by KOS Media and Old Glory Magazine is THE Easter event for all the family not to be missed!

For more information - Click Here

*Image reproduced with permission

Wishing You A Happy And Peaceful Easter

Southeastern Update

Just a quick update to say thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out and return the commuter surveys we handed out a couple of weeks ago, or who responded via our online transport survey. It was very interesting reading the wide range of views from rail users across Medway regarding Southeastern's performance, and it's fair to say that a large proportion of the respondents aren't really happy with the service they are getting from our rail service here in the Towns. That has got to change.

I am happy to announce that I have now met with representatives from Southeastern, and I think we have made some real progress in addressing some of the issues raised and I will be making an announcement on this in the near future as well as inviting you to take part in a proper debate on the service provided by Southeastern, so make sure you check back regularly. This is your chance to have a real say on how you would like to be treated as a hardworking commuter and taxpayer so make sure you don't miss out.

If you would like more info on taking part in our debate or would like to keep up to date with my progress regarding Southeastern or any of the other pressing issues here in Medway, then please make sure you sign up for my free email updates - click here. It doesn't cost a thing and we promise you won't be sent loads of spam email, so what have you got to lose except Gordon Brown's debt?

Southeastern Update

"Mark Reckless: The Right Kind Of MP" by Daniel Hannan MEP

Many congratulations to the Conservatives of Rochester and Strood, who have wisely readopted Mark Reckless as their candidate. I ought to declare an interest: Mark is one of my oldest friends, and was my best man. (He insisted on organising my stag night in Reykjavik, determined that we should celebrate Iceland's status outside the EU.)

In an age when many politicians see preferment as an end in itself, Mark is refreshingly independent: an unapologetic tax-cutter (he was once one of Britain's top-rated economists), a radical libertarian, a localist and an opponent of EU membership. Unsurprisingly, not everyone in the party hierarchy was keen on his candidature.

He is now in the happy position of having secured the Tory nomination with no help - indeed, considerable opposition - from the Conservative machine. The Whips would doubtless have preferred someone more malleable; but the Medway Tories couldn't have done better. During the final round, Mark made a point of telling activists that, before they voted, they should be aware that he disagreed with the party line on several issues; they elected him outright on the first ballot.

Originally posted 28th July 2008 on Daniel Hannan's Telegraph blog - Click Here to view the original

"Mark Reckless: The Right Kind Of MP" by Daniel Hannan MEP

Fair's Not Fare For Medway

Don't Miss Out - Claim Your Compensation

Thanks to pressure from the local Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Rochester and Strood Mark Reckless in association with the independent Fair's Fare for Medway campaign we are happy to tell you that Southeastern are offering compensation to Medway commuters holding monthly or longer season tickets who were affected by the shutdown of Southeastern's commuter services to and from London on 2nd February

How To Claim

To help you make sure you claim your compensation in time, Click Here to download Southeastern's claim form (external link*).

Fill in the form with your details and return it to;

Southeastern Customer Services,
PO Box 63428,
London SE1P 5FD.

Important - You will also need to enclose an original expired ticket or photocopy of your current ticket, and a photocopy of your photocard. Don't forget to include these with your form!

All claims must be submitted by Tuesday 31st March 2009 so don't put it off. It's your money, make sure you don't miss out!

*If you cannot view the form you may need to download and install Adobe reader onto your computer, and you can download it here for free

On Your Side

Mark Reckless believes that with the recession there is a good chance we can now persuade Southeastern to set CTRL fast service fares below the 35% premium proposed by Labour. Otherwise the service will fail because it will be unaffordable to Medway residents.

If elected as our Conservative MP Mark will also work to get the inflation plus 3% rises on standard fares cut back.

Angry commuter and http://www.medwayfaredeal.com/ founder Chris Irvine (pictured with Mark) responded:

"We are grateful for Mark's support. People are already worried about staying in work and shouldn't have to worry about getting to work.

We have all heard of Highway Robbery but this is Railway Robbery."

You can help by taking a few minutes to complete our online Passenger Survey and registering your support to ensure we all get a Fair Fare Deal for Medway. Click Here to take the survey.

Fair's Not Fare For Medway

Protecting Medway As The Recession Bites

Councillor Mark Reckless, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Rochester and Strood, has worked as an economist and in business. His priority is to support economic growth and job creation

Mark believes "Labour plans for more and more borrowing will not get us out of this recession because that is how they got us into this mess in the first place. We need to encourage investment and support savers with lower taxes to restore a culture of thrift."

On both Medway Council and the Kent Police Authority Mark has worked to ensure that we set virtually the lowest council tax in the country. If elected to Parliament, Mark wants to do the same by cutting the huge amount of government waste. People in Medway just do not have the money to carry on paying for Labour's spending binge.

Locally, we have to work harder to make Medway attractive for business to invest, e.g. by keeping fares on the CTRL fast link to London down.

Mark believes that sites such as the old Fintrade site in Strood (pictured) should be brought back into use for employment purposes, not housing. Medway Council must ensure that appropriate land is made available for business needs, as we have done with the Innovation Centre in Rochester.

Mark says "Nationally, the government needs to guarantee bank loans to business directly to get the economy moving again. Just as importantly, it needs to stop sucking all available credit out of British banks by borrowing so much itself. It should also borrow some of what it will still need from foreigners in their currencies, which are less pressured by government over-borrowing, so as to take pressure off sterling and help restore confidence.

"Conservative action is needed to get us out of a recession caused by too much borrowing under Labour."

Protecting Medway As The Recession Bites

Police Council Tax Raised 4.99% to Top Up 'Slush Fund'

The Kent Police Authority (KPA) have voted to increase the police precept by 4.99%, the maximum likely to be permitted by the government with a 5% cap. This is in line with the KPA's policy as set out by its Deputy Chairman, Cllr Mike Hill, to raise the precept to the average of whatever other police authorities happen to charge. Mr Hill said at the meeting:

"We have an insoluble problem of having near the lowest council tax precept of any police authority. Therefore a strategy to bring it up to something like the average is right and we have to go for something higher"

KPA Member Cllr Mark Reckless, and Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Rochester and Strood, opposes this policy and voted against the tax rise. He said:

"We have plenty of money to pay for Neighbourhood Task Teams, and what Kent Police say they need to become among the best performers in the country, without raising the council tax at all this year. All we would have to do is limit staff pay rises, including the 45% hike for the Police Authority Chair, to the 1% set by KCC, and get rid of the slush fund"

- MARK RECKLESS

1. On 10th December KPA Members voted by 9 votes to 4 to increase their own allowances by 45% for the Chair, 25% for Committee Chairs, 19% for the Deputy Chair and 12% for other members. Cllr Reckless has waived his increase.

2.The KPA have decided to pad all police budgets with an allowance for inflation that is twice as high as the Bank of England expects. This adds 1 ¼% to the tax rise.

3. The KPA had said it needed to hold £12.5m of taxpayers' money as an 'Insurance Reserve' (and then allowed KCC to 'invest' about that amount in Icelandic Banks). Cllr Reckless raised concerns that the money was not needed for its supposed purpose - to pay legal claims - and was instead being used as a slush fund for money taken in council tax but not needed. External advice since is that only £3.8m is necessary for likely legal claims.

4. Kent Police and KPA finance officers have nonetheless decided to keep £6.5m in the 'Insurance Reserve', the extra £2.7m being the exact amount left over from raising the council tax by as much as government allows once the entire 'Step Change' rise in spending requested by Kent Police is paid for.

5. Cllr Reckless has made three further criticisms of the 'Insurance Reserve':

- a. This supposed provision for uninsured legal claims is determined by Kent Police's Head of Finance without consulting the Head of Legal Services;

- b. Kent Police claims record is better than assumed as recording historically has been better for claims they pay than claims they don't have to pay - yet this is then cited as an argument for heaping up more money in reserve, not less;

- c. Motor claims have fallen sharply as police must now have obey road traffic rules, unless on emergency, but the reserve assumes accidents are as frequent as before the policy was changed, even though it is knows that they are not.

Police Council Tax Raised 4.99% to Top Up 'Slush Fund'

Save The Great British Pub

With nearly 6 pubs closing every day of the week, and local pubs under threat, we believe that the Government should be doing more to save the Great British pub.

33% of the price of every pint goes in Beer Tax to the Chancellor.Now the Government plans to increase beer tax further.

We are calling on the Government to help save our pubs and safeguard jobs by:

- Cutting taxes on lower alcohol drinks such as beer and raising taxes on problem drinks like high strength ciders and alcopops in order to use the tax system to target binge drinking whilst ensuring that responsible drinkers and the traditional British pub are not unfairly penalised

- Enforcing existing laws to deal firmly with irresponsible drinkers & premises

- Trusting adults to make informed choices, not punish them for the actions of an irresponsible minority

- Supporting the British pub as a vital part of local communities

Sign our petition to show your support.

Jeremy Hunt, Shadow Culture Secretary:

"We all have our favourite local pub but up and down the country people have been losing theirs. Not only are they a critical part of our heritage but they are often hubs for local communities helping social groups, sports clubs and often even the village shop."

"For too long the Government has tried to tackle binge drinking by punishing responsible drinkers and landlords. With massive tax hikes and heavy-handed regulation, all Labour will succeed in doing is closing down more pubs. This has to stop. We should be proud of our brewers and proud of our pub industry and do what we can to support them - which is why we are launching this campaign."

Mark Prisk, Shadow Business Minister:

"The future of British pubs are under threat and we must do all we can to save these great British institutions. Pubs are often small, family-run businesses - not only are they the social heart of their communities, they also provide jobs, and support the British brewing industry. Now, in the face of great adversity, we must do all we can to save our local pub."

Save The Great British Pub

A Message From Carol Vorderman

Carol Vorderman is heading up a Maths Taskforce for the Conservatives, looking at ways to improve Maths standards in Britain.

Maths is critically important to the future of this country but Britain is falling behind the best performing countries.

In the last decade, 3.5 million children have left school without a basic qualification in Maths - a truly shocking statistic.

As a single parent of two children, and as a school governor, this concerns me greatly.

If our children are to get the best jobs in the future and Britain is to emerge stronger from the recession we have little choice but to sort Maths out now.

That's why I was delighted to accept David Cameron's invitation to head up a Maths Taskforce for the Conservatives.

Over the coming months, I'll be looking at ways to improve Maths standards in Britain. Amongst other things, I'll be examining:

- What we can learn from the methods other countries use to teach Maths in schools

- Whether tests in Britain are tough enough

- Whether the standard of teaching is high enough for what will be required in the coming decade

- How to break the culture of Maths fear in Britain

I am going to visit schools in every region and meet with experts, teachers, parents and, most importantly, children of all ages to find out what's needed to raise standards faster. I'll be posting regular updates, so keep checking back to see how I'm getting on.

TELL ME YOUR VIEWS

But I also want to hear your thoughts on how we can improve Maths standards in this country. Simply send an email to carol@mathstaskforce.com and let me know what you think can be done to raise standards.

A Message From Carol Vorderman