NOT TOO POSH

I got a phone call on Friday from the Mail on Sunday newspaper asking me if I was too posh to stand for trendy Brighton Kemptown

Here's my reply to his subsequent email:


Dear Brendan

Thank you for your email. I started using Simon Radford-Kirby as well as Simon Kirby when I married my lovely wife Elizabeth Radford in 1992.

When I was first elected to represent the people of Brighton Kemptown seventeen years ago on the East Sussex County Council I used Simon Kirby as I did throughout my business life in Brighton (where when I started in the early 90s we had so little money that I mixed the concrete and laid the floorboards in our first pub myself because we could not afford to pay anyone else to do it).

I grew up in a council house in nearby Hastings,went to the local primary and grammar school. I have lived in a small terraced house in the constituency. So no. Not too posh. I am extremely happy and proud to have the opportunity to represent a diverse urban constituency. I am as happy watching Whitehawk play football in East Brighton (I'll be there in the rain tomorrow)as I am having Sunday lunch with my family in historic Rottingean. As happy visiting Falmer High School in Moulsecoomb as to speak at the famous Roedean School.

KIRBY also fits much better on the posters!

I have never received (or given) any advice to change my name or to use one rather than the other.

One advantage of having the two names is that it provides a little separation for my wife and children. I am however the same person. Simon Kirby or Simon Radford-Kirby. I am just concentrating on working hard and doing my best for the people of Brighton Kemptown. Whatever name I use, I have their interests at heart.

Kind Regards

Simon Kirby

WHITEHAWK WIN!

The score was 3-1...what a great result. Thoroughly enjoyed the game!

UP THE HAWKS

I am looking forward to tomorrow's match against Selsey in the 3rd Round of the RUR Charity Cup.

I shall be watching Whitehawk FC, and hopefully they will win against Selsey, who have been having a difficult season so far.

Good luck to the team who are making great efforts this season.

See you at the match!

MAKING YOUR VOICE HEARD IN BRIGHTON

The Brighton and Hove City Council has now completed a review of its Constitution, which governs the way it runs itself and its interaction with residents, voluntary and community organisations and bodies such as Rottingdean Parish Council. A report, including considering any changes to the Constitution, will be considered by City Councillors next year.

The Council has a number of ways in which residents and organisations can put their point of view directly to Councillors and members of the Council's ruling Cabinet when decision-taking meetings are being held or when the Scrutiny Committees are considering an issue in detail.

As well as writing to the appropriate Councillor, people can attend meetings, and with suitable notice, ask a question, bring a deputation or ask a Councillor to deliver a petition.

Important issues are shortly coming up on the City Council's agenda such as the Core Strategy part of the new Local Development Framework, which will govern the Council's planning policies in the future. This will be debated in detail on the 10th December and the Council's Budget,including a new rate of Council Tax, will be voted on at the end of February.

If you want to watch the proceedings of the meetings of the Full Council, the Cabinet, the Scrutiny Commission or the Planning Committee, you can do so over the internet by going to the Council's website and following the links from there. You can watch these meetings as they take place or look at them from the online archive.

OVERSEAS VOTERS

IF YOU HAVE LIVED OVERSEAS
FOR LESS THAN 15 YEARS
YOU CAN REGISTER TO VOTE
IN THE NEXT ELECTION
TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT:

WWW.DONTLEAVEYOURVOTEATHOME.COM
ABROAD@CONSERVATIVES.COM
0044 (0)20 7984 8018
SOME THINGS ARE WORTH VOTING FOR

Promoted and Printed by Alan Mabbutt on behalf of the Conservative Party, both at 30 Millbank, London SW1P 4DP

SIR ANDREW BOWDEN

I welcome the support of the much loved former Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown, who served the people of Kemptown for 27 years in Parliament.
During his long period of service, Sir Andrew was well respected as a champion of older people.
This is what Sir Andrew has to say:

‘As the former Conservative Member for Brighton Kemptown I do hope you will feel able to support SIMON KIRBY at the next General Election.
I have no doubt that if he is elected he will prove to be an outstanding and dedicated Member of Parliament.
Labour has betrayed the British people, particularly those of us who are retired and our country desperately needs a new government.
We do not pretend that there are any easy answers to the nation’s problems but I strongly believe that if David Cameron becomes Prime Minister he will not hesitate to implement policies that will lead to our nation’s economic recovery and the revival of our international reputation’.

OSBORNE ENVIRONMENT SPEECH

I was glad to see the speech from George Osborne concerning environmental issues.
He made clear the need for urgent action on the environment, and other shadow cabinet members will be talking on this issue later this week.
I know that the people of Brighton Kemptown are concerned that real action not words is taken to fight against climate change, and Brighton & Hove Conservative run Council is taking action now!
A Conservative Treasury will play a central role in the fight against climate change, unleashing green finance and helping to generate the green jobs, businesses and growth that Britain needs.

There will be a requirement for government departments to cut their energy bills by 10 per cent within 12 months of the election. We will also boost green finance with a new Green Investment Bank and Green ISA’s, and make it pay to go green by helping local councils to pay the public to recycle. In Windsor, this innovative approach to recycling has increased recycling rates by 30 per cent.

SALTDEAN TOP OF THE AGENDA!

I was pleased to see that Brighton and Hove City Council is considering asking the Boundary Committee for England to review the administrative boundary of Saltdean. At present, Saltdean is divided at Longridge Avenue, with the eastern part of the town being administered by Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council and the western part coming under the jurisdiction of Brighton and Hove City Council.

The issue was recently discussed at Brighton and Hove City Council’s Governance Committee which has made a recommendation to the Council’s ruling Cabinet, asking it to urge the Boundary Committee to review the boundary ‘expeditiously'.

The Boundary Committee has the responsibility for surveying an area to canvass opinion on whether a boundary is satisfactory or not when it decides a review should be held.

The Governance Committee, did not agree to carry out a survey of local people because of the Boundary Committee’s responsibilities but further discussions would be held with Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council about pressing for a prompt review.

The Governance Committee has decided to discuss the matter again in late 2010 to decide on any future action it may take.
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This is an important issue to many of my potential constituents and I will be working with my colleagues serving on all three Councils.

LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!

Just had lunch with my mum today. We don’t see each other as much as either would like, because of my campaigning for the election. She doesn’t complain – mothers never do!
She had a go at me about education standards, and being a teacher all her life (now retired) I listen to her experiences with great interest.

I was able to tell her that if elected a Conservative government will place a priority on education – as education is the most powerful means by which individuals can be given the freedom to shape their future. Our plan for schools reform is driven by the need to increase opportunity for everyone. We will undertake a long-term programme to close the educational gap between the fortunate and the forgotten, with policies including:

• Building hundreds of good new schools within the state system

• Shifting the balance of power away from the government and towards parents

• Removing the obstacles which prevent new schools being established

• Encouraging smaller and more varied schools to respond to parents’ demands

In addition, we will take a number of immediate steps to improve standards in all our schools:

• Improve discipline and behaviour in schools by shifting the balance of power in the classroom back to the teacher

• Ensure more teaching by ability to stretch the strongest and nurture the weakest

• Look at reforming the testing regime in primary schools to reduce bureaucracy and focus on every pupil’s real needs.

The next Conservative Government is determined to stop the decline in standards, and to create the excellent schools that all our children deserve.

Things can Change!

Have been listening to David Cameron talking today to the CBI, and was inspired by his message of hope for economic recovery, and that ‘things can change’ and that ‘they must change’.

He offered an agenda for Britain ‘living again within our means’, stating clearly ‘that it is business, not government, that creates jobs’ but pointed out ‘that we are in a competitive world where we are not owed a living but have to earn it’!

He rightly said that ‘politics has become infected with a sense of grim inevitability’...and ‘the sense that no one and nothing can make a difference’ but concluded ‘that things can change...they must change...and with the Conservatives, they will change’.

Bring on the election that Brighton and Britain needs! We are ready for the fight.

BRIGHTON MARINA OVER DEVELOPMENT

I have just got back from speaking at the Marina Inquiry this is what I said:

I was a member of the Roedean Residents' Association, a member of Save Brighton, a former East Sussex County Councillor whose responsibility until June of this year was Economic Development across the county. I was also a former Brighton Borough Councillor and a former Brighton & Hove Councillor. I had lived and worked in and around Brighton for most of my life.

Firstly, I said how saddened I was to be there at the Appeal which is costing local tax payers of Brighton & Hove large amounts of money.

The residents did not want the development. The Council did not want the development and, after all is said and done, whatever was decided at the appeal, there will still be the need to get the Council to waive the cliff height restriction in the 1968 Marina Act - which I was sure they won't and also B&HCC's rights as landlords in the headlease (to not give permission to development which in the reasonable opinion of the Council adversely affects the character of the local area).

Therefore, this was a very expensive exercise which would probably get the developers nowhere.

Secondly, I told the inspector that I had been contacted by many hundreds of local people who were aghast at the proposed scheme. Not just people who live in the Marina or Marine Gate but people who live in Woodingdean and shop at Asda, people who live in Moulsecoomb who come to the cinema and restaurants and people who live in Peacehaven who have a boat at the Marina.

None of them were saying leave the Marina as it is.

None of them were saying build nothing.

None of them are saying that a development wasn't needed.

What they all wanted was appropriate development - a holistic approach to the marina. A suitable size, scale and height development with appropriate parking and housing that wasn't substandard, devoid of natural light and overlooking the cliff.

People didn't want to freeze the Marina at the western end for 100 years - but they thought that Brighton deserved better - a grander aspiration. Not a make do, quick buck, over development that none of us could be proud of.

Finally, I said that in a matter of only weeks, I might be fortunate enough to represent the people of Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven as their Member of Parliament. But if I was elected, then I would be only one of a long line of Brighton Kemptown MPs, stretching hundreds of years into the future, who will have to live with this scheme should it be allowed.

I asked the inspector to listen to local residents and to listen to the democratically elected City Council. I asked him to say NO to these very tall towers. To say NO to this inappropriate scheme and to say NO to what could be much much better.

CONSERVATIVES ARE READY FOR CHANGE

Have been speaking at an enthusiastic meeting of Kemptown Conservatives today. They are all working hard and raring to go whenever the election is called.

I said that ‘we have to give hope for the future, and that the country needs to change direction’.

Conservatives have to be honest with the British people, and to be ready to deliver the tough and radical change Britain needs to rebuild our broken economy, after 12 long years of Labour mismanagement. Equally we need to mend our broken society and fix our broken politics.

David Cameron has been honest with the British people about the tough decisions needed, and unlike Gordon Brown we won’t duck these difficult decisions.

EUROPEAN UNION TO BAN HEALTH PRODUCTS?

From 1^st January, many natural health products will be banned in the UK because of the ‘EU Food Supplements Directive’. Apart from ‘an approved list’ hundreds of products that have been selling freely in the UK will be banned!

Conservatives believe that ‘consumers must be allowed to have free access to safe supplements of their choice’.

If elected MP for Brighton Kemptown, I (along with my Conservative colleagues) will be a firm opponent of the proposed EU Food Supplements Directive.