David Cameron has announced plans to help families protect children from premature sexualisation and excessive commercialisation.
The measures are designed to crack down on irresponsible marketing practices and products targeted at children.
David Cameron said today "I want to make Britain the most family-friendly country in the world”. "A key part of helping families and mending our broken society is making sure that business is responsible in how it markets and advertises products to children".
The proposals launched today include:
• Banning the most manipulative marketing techniques aimed at young people
• Strengthening the regulatory framework
• Giving people the power to make complaints
• Banning irresponsible companies from winning future government contracts.
David emphasised that "social pressure" is the best way to combat irresponsible behaviour and encourage responsibility, saying that the Conservatives would "make it easier for parents to mobilise against campaigns and products that they think are inappropriate".
He also added that the Government still has an important role. "A Conservative Government would take the tough action needed to help families and build a society in which we stop treating children as adults", he said.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
CONSERVATIVES CHAMPION GAY EQUALITY
Shadow Cabinet member Nick Herbert, has today spoken about the Conservative Party's promotion of gay equality.
Nick said "For the modern Conservative Party, embracing gay equality is neither a temporary phenomenon, nor an agenda which can be reversed".
In the UK, all three major political parties are now assuring gay people that it's safe to vote for them. Typically, far from taking pleasure in this new consensus, the Left has greeted it with dismay. For over a decade they have sought to build a client state, where groups are beholden to their generosity. And now they want to open up 'clear pink water' between themselves and the Conservative Party.
There's an election coming, and it suits our opponents to argue that we haven't changed. But we self-evidently have changed. The truth is that there are millions of people who we drove away but who share our values and want to join us.
Gay people are not the property of the Left, or of any party.
They are not an interest group or a political commodity to be traded.
They are not vessels for votes.
Gay people are motivated by the same issues as any other voter.
They will vote for the political party which best sits with their views - so long as that party does not make itself taboo.
He went on to say that the Conservative Party advocating Civil Partnerships and gay equality to other countries may come as a surprise to some, but it is in tune with our beliefs, thinking and aspirations.
Under the leadership of David Cameron, the British Conservative Party has gone further in supporting gay equality than other centre-right parties in similar countries and the Party is now taking the case for greater equality to America, in particular highlighting the benefits of civil partnerships.
Nick Herbert discussed the issue on the Today programme this morning and is due to give a speech in Washington D.C. later today on the subject.
I am in full agreement with Nick. Brighton has a vibrant gay community who play an important part in the life and work of our City.
Nick said "For the modern Conservative Party, embracing gay equality is neither a temporary phenomenon, nor an agenda which can be reversed".
In the UK, all three major political parties are now assuring gay people that it's safe to vote for them. Typically, far from taking pleasure in this new consensus, the Left has greeted it with dismay. For over a decade they have sought to build a client state, where groups are beholden to their generosity. And now they want to open up 'clear pink water' between themselves and the Conservative Party.
There's an election coming, and it suits our opponents to argue that we haven't changed. But we self-evidently have changed. The truth is that there are millions of people who we drove away but who share our values and want to join us.
Gay people are not the property of the Left, or of any party.
They are not an interest group or a political commodity to be traded.
They are not vessels for votes.
Gay people are motivated by the same issues as any other voter.
They will vote for the political party which best sits with their views - so long as that party does not make itself taboo.
He went on to say that the Conservative Party advocating Civil Partnerships and gay equality to other countries may come as a surprise to some, but it is in tune with our beliefs, thinking and aspirations.
Under the leadership of David Cameron, the British Conservative Party has gone further in supporting gay equality than other centre-right parties in similar countries and the Party is now taking the case for greater equality to America, in particular highlighting the benefits of civil partnerships.
Nick Herbert discussed the issue on the Today programme this morning and is due to give a speech in Washington D.C. later today on the subject.
I am in full agreement with Nick. Brighton has a vibrant gay community who play an important part in the life and work of our City.
Monday, February 15, 2010
POWER FOR PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS
Our Shadow Chancellor George Osborne, has today announced plans to give public sector workers the right to form employee owned co-operatives to take over the services they deliver.
This will empower millions of public sector workers to become their own boss and help them to deliver better services.
"Today we are setting out our plans to give power to public sector workers who are fed up with Gordon Brown's top-down control of their working lives", he said. "This is the biggest shift of power from government to people since the right to buy your council house in the 1980s".
The new right to form employee owned co-operatives will apply throughout the vast majority of the public sector – including JobCentre Plus offices, community nursing teams and primary schools.
Employee owned co-operatives will continue to be funded by the state so long as they meet national standards, but will be freed from centralised bureaucracy and political micromanagement.
They will be not-for-profit organisations - any financial surpluses will be reinvested into the service and the staff who work there, rather than distributed to external shareholders.
"Just as we are winning the argument on the economy and how to deal with the country's debts, the Conservatives now offer the best hope for users of public services and the people who work in them", Osborne added.
This new innovative policy could help workers become their own boss, and is in line with our overall policy direction of moving power from central elites down to the individual and to local communities. The shift away from the ‘nanny state’ is something I very much welcome.
This will empower millions of public sector workers to become their own boss and help them to deliver better services.
"Today we are setting out our plans to give power to public sector workers who are fed up with Gordon Brown's top-down control of their working lives", he said. "This is the biggest shift of power from government to people since the right to buy your council house in the 1980s".
The new right to form employee owned co-operatives will apply throughout the vast majority of the public sector – including JobCentre Plus offices, community nursing teams and primary schools.
Employee owned co-operatives will continue to be funded by the state so long as they meet national standards, but will be freed from centralised bureaucracy and political micromanagement.
They will be not-for-profit organisations - any financial surpluses will be reinvested into the service and the staff who work there, rather than distributed to external shareholders.
"Just as we are winning the argument on the economy and how to deal with the country's debts, the Conservatives now offer the best hope for users of public services and the people who work in them", Osborne added.
This new innovative policy could help workers become their own boss, and is in line with our overall policy direction of moving power from central elites down to the individual and to local communities. The shift away from the ‘nanny state’ is something I very much welcome.
NEW PLANS ON TRANSPARENCY
David Cameron has launched the Transparency section of our Draft Manifesto.
There are radical new plans to publish government contracts in full – including all performance indicators, break clauses and penalty measures.
As part of the plan for Cutting the Democratic Deficit, Conservatives have already set out plans to publish national and local government spending online, create a new ‘right to government data’, require police forces to publish crime data on a monthly basis and publish the names and salaries of the most senior civil servants.
The announcement takes these plans even further by taking the radical step of publishing all government contracts worth over £25,000 for goods and services in full. This would enable the public to root out wasteful spending and poorly negotiated contracts, and open up the procurement system to more small businesses.
Speaking ahead of the speech, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said that the commitment to publish government contracts is the "most radical transparency announcement ever made by a British political party – and will enable the public to hold ministers and civil servants to account like never before".
"This policy will help us to cut government spending, root out waste and empower the public – and bring in a new age of transparency and accountability", Osborne added.
Many examples of government waste are given to me by local people. This is something which frustrates us all. I believe these proposals are a move in the right direction.
There are radical new plans to publish government contracts in full – including all performance indicators, break clauses and penalty measures.
As part of the plan for Cutting the Democratic Deficit, Conservatives have already set out plans to publish national and local government spending online, create a new ‘right to government data’, require police forces to publish crime data on a monthly basis and publish the names and salaries of the most senior civil servants.
The announcement takes these plans even further by taking the radical step of publishing all government contracts worth over £25,000 for goods and services in full. This would enable the public to root out wasteful spending and poorly negotiated contracts, and open up the procurement system to more small businesses.
Speaking ahead of the speech, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said that the commitment to publish government contracts is the "most radical transparency announcement ever made by a British political party – and will enable the public to hold ministers and civil servants to account like never before".
"This policy will help us to cut government spending, root out waste and empower the public – and bring in a new age of transparency and accountability", Osborne added.
Many examples of government waste are given to me by local people. This is something which frustrates us all. I believe these proposals are a move in the right direction.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROYAL SUSSEX
The next meeting showing revised architectural designs for the development of our hospital is taking place shortly.
Whilst wanting better facilities at our hospital, I share resident concerns about the hospital re-development.
Funding for the hospital has already been agreed, and planning permission will be sought from Brighton & Hove Council later on this year.
Local residents have expressed concern about traffic congestion, the disruption caused by the development, loss of views, and the ability of Victorian buildings locally coping with both the weight and volume of building traffic.
I am watching these proposals closely, and hope that the views of those who live in the area will be seriously considered.
Whilst wanting better facilities at our hospital, I share resident concerns about the hospital re-development.
Funding for the hospital has already been agreed, and planning permission will be sought from Brighton & Hove Council later on this year.
Local residents have expressed concern about traffic congestion, the disruption caused by the development, loss of views, and the ability of Victorian buildings locally coping with both the weight and volume of building traffic.
I am watching these proposals closely, and hope that the views of those who live in the area will be seriously considered.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
LIFE CHANGING EVENTS
There are a few moments in time, when history changes forever.
Friends who were adults at the time tell me that the assassination of JFK was one such moment, and I remember in my childhood as the world watched when a man first stepped on the moon.
The death of princess Diana was another such event.
It is hard to believe that it is only 20 years today that Nelson Mandela was freed from political imprisonment in South Africa.
South Africa has today been celebrating this event which changed and freed a nation.
Nelson Mandela demonstrates mankind at its best. Instead of bitterness he promoted reconciliation.
Today, 20 years on, I celebrate Nelson Mandela.
Friends who were adults at the time tell me that the assassination of JFK was one such moment, and I remember in my childhood as the world watched when a man first stepped on the moon.
The death of princess Diana was another such event.
It is hard to believe that it is only 20 years today that Nelson Mandela was freed from political imprisonment in South Africa.
South Africa has today been celebrating this event which changed and freed a nation.
Nelson Mandela demonstrates mankind at its best. Instead of bitterness he promoted reconciliation.
Today, 20 years on, I celebrate Nelson Mandela.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
A QUESTION OF ECONOMY?
The Conservative Party is keen for as many people as possible to be involved in the process of creating the manifesto on which the Party will fight the next General Election.
Already David Cameron has taken questions, online, about this process and this process is continuing.
This Thursday (11th February), the Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne will be taking part in a live question-and-answer session, to respond to questions voters have raised. To determine the most popular questions, the Google Moderator web tool is being used where people can submit questions and then vote for others they like or dislike.
Why not try this out and have your say? You just need a Google account to join in and instructions are given on the web page on how you can get one of those.
If you would like more details, the web address for the Draft Manifesto is below:
http://www.conservatives.com/Draft_Manifesto.aspx
Already David Cameron has taken questions, online, about this process and this process is continuing.
This Thursday (11th February), the Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne will be taking part in a live question-and-answer session, to respond to questions voters have raised. To determine the most popular questions, the Google Moderator web tool is being used where people can submit questions and then vote for others they like or dislike.
Why not try this out and have your say? You just need a Google account to join in and instructions are given on the web page on how you can get one of those.
If you would like more details, the web address for the Draft Manifesto is below:
http://www.conservatives.com/Draft_Manifesto.aspx
A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD
Housing is one of the most fundamental needs anybody has, and yet, over the years how often have we seen house prices boom for a year or two and then bust shortly after, creating problems for families, those seeking to buy for the first time or people wanting to move for their job? Other people may want or need to rent but regulations and red tape create conditions that stifles markets and makes potential landlords nervous about letting a property.
We can't go on like this and we need to make some changes now so that people have the opportunity they need, the social mobility they desire and a home that is within their price range in the area of the country they need to live.
Conservatives have been working hard on these issues and have a number of solutions which will help solve problems now before they become full blown crises in the future.
The first task a new Conservative Government will undertake is to put more powers back into the hands of local communities. This will see local people, by law, having a real say at the pre-planning stage of an application for a large development of housing. Conservatives would allow local councils across the country to revise their local plans to protect the Green Belt and, as I've written elsewhere on this blog, reverse the classification of gardens as brownfield sites.
The Conservatives want to see more power with local people matched by incentives for housebuilding that make sense and work with the grain of communities. Rather than Labour's top-down housing targets, Conservatives will abolish these and introduce a system of incentives to allow local councils to retain the extra Council Tax a new home creates and create new local housing trusts which will be allowed to develop homes for local people so long as there is clear community backing.
Not everyone can afford to own a home though. Some people rent their homes from a social landlord. It is important to bring opportunity to everyone and the Conservatives have proposals here as well.
To improve mobility, a 'Right to Move' scheme will be introduced to allow social housing tenants to oblige their social landlord to sell their home and to use the proceeds, less costs, to buy a home in the private sector and so bring it into the social rented sector. A national mobility scheme would be re-introduced to allow people to move between existing social rented homes and that tenants who move within the social rented sector keep their 'Right to Buy' rights.
Some social tenats though want to move into ownership over time, perhaps as their incomes or circumstances change. Conservatives will work to bring in more flexible ownership schemes to make sure that for those who see home ownership as their dream, it can become a reality, step by step.
Previous Conservative Governments have pointed the way to a property owning democracy, created the phenomenon of the sale of Council homes, and reduced the red tape on landlords by creating new kinds of tenancy which work for both the landlord and tenant. The next Conservative Government will ben o different. It will take the housing stock as it is and give more power, choice and opportunity to owners and tenants alike. A Conservative Government will create sensible incentives to build new homes where they are needed. New freedoms will be created for homeowner and tenants alike. We need to make a change soon and we will.
We can't go on like this and we need to make some changes now so that people have the opportunity they need, the social mobility they desire and a home that is within their price range in the area of the country they need to live.
Conservatives have been working hard on these issues and have a number of solutions which will help solve problems now before they become full blown crises in the future.
The first task a new Conservative Government will undertake is to put more powers back into the hands of local communities. This will see local people, by law, having a real say at the pre-planning stage of an application for a large development of housing. Conservatives would allow local councils across the country to revise their local plans to protect the Green Belt and, as I've written elsewhere on this blog, reverse the classification of gardens as brownfield sites.
The Conservatives want to see more power with local people matched by incentives for housebuilding that make sense and work with the grain of communities. Rather than Labour's top-down housing targets, Conservatives will abolish these and introduce a system of incentives to allow local councils to retain the extra Council Tax a new home creates and create new local housing trusts which will be allowed to develop homes for local people so long as there is clear community backing.
Not everyone can afford to own a home though. Some people rent their homes from a social landlord. It is important to bring opportunity to everyone and the Conservatives have proposals here as well.
To improve mobility, a 'Right to Move' scheme will be introduced to allow social housing tenants to oblige their social landlord to sell their home and to use the proceeds, less costs, to buy a home in the private sector and so bring it into the social rented sector. A national mobility scheme would be re-introduced to allow people to move between existing social rented homes and that tenants who move within the social rented sector keep their 'Right to Buy' rights.
Some social tenats though want to move into ownership over time, perhaps as their incomes or circumstances change. Conservatives will work to bring in more flexible ownership schemes to make sure that for those who see home ownership as their dream, it can become a reality, step by step.
Previous Conservative Governments have pointed the way to a property owning democracy, created the phenomenon of the sale of Council homes, and reduced the red tape on landlords by creating new kinds of tenancy which work for both the landlord and tenant. The next Conservative Government will ben o different. It will take the housing stock as it is and give more power, choice and opportunity to owners and tenants alike. A Conservative Government will create sensible incentives to build new homes where they are needed. New freedoms will be created for homeowner and tenants alike. We need to make a change soon and we will.
CUTTING THE COST OF GOVERNMENT AND EMPOWERING PEOPLE
Labour Governments are notorious for leaving Britain with more bureaucracy and red tape than when they came to power. No more is that the case than with tiers of government. Many people in Britain, especially if you live in a county area, are governed by up to six layers of government - Parishes, District and County Councils, the Regional layer, our national Parliament, and the European Parliament. Many people have a feeling of kinship to their parish, district, county or city and our national Parliament.
The Conservatives have long believed though that the regional tier of government is not needed and that decisions should be taken by the people closest to them. The cost of government needs to be reduced as well and David Cameron has proposed reducing the number of MPs in Parliament to reduce expenditure. One other area of cost cutting will be eliminating the regional tier of government and making sure that the powers it has rest with local authorities.
Conservatives propose to:
• abolish all regional planning and housing powers exercised by regional government;
• strip the Regional Development Agencies of their powers over planning; and give local governments the power to establish their own local enterprise partnerships to take over development functions from RDAs;
• abandon plans to regionalise fire control (while providing new measures to enhance resilience in the case of a national emergency); and
• replace the Infrastructure Planning Commission with speeded up public enquiries for infrastructure development or private/hybrid legislation for major projects.
This should reduce cost and bureaucracy while allowing councils to form alliances and relationships around issues that need to be tackled across their borders.
The Conservatives believe that the best government is that which is closest to the people and allows maximum freedom under the law. Our proposals will rein in the power of the state, eliminate unnecessary tiers of government and lower the cost the taxpayer has to bear to run the country and their local community.
The Conservatives have long believed though that the regional tier of government is not needed and that decisions should be taken by the people closest to them. The cost of government needs to be reduced as well and David Cameron has proposed reducing the number of MPs in Parliament to reduce expenditure. One other area of cost cutting will be eliminating the regional tier of government and making sure that the powers it has rest with local authorities.
Conservatives propose to:
• abolish all regional planning and housing powers exercised by regional government;
• strip the Regional Development Agencies of their powers over planning; and give local governments the power to establish their own local enterprise partnerships to take over development functions from RDAs;
• abandon plans to regionalise fire control (while providing new measures to enhance resilience in the case of a national emergency); and
• replace the Infrastructure Planning Commission with speeded up public enquiries for infrastructure development or private/hybrid legislation for major projects.
This should reduce cost and bureaucracy while allowing councils to form alliances and relationships around issues that need to be tackled across their borders.
The Conservatives believe that the best government is that which is closest to the people and allows maximum freedom under the law. Our proposals will rein in the power of the state, eliminate unnecessary tiers of government and lower the cost the taxpayer has to bear to run the country and their local community.
Monday, February 8, 2010
REBUILDING TRUST IN POLITICS
David Cameron has made a powerful speech today about the rebuilding of trust so urgently need in British politics and politicians. Today he said out his vision.
He said the current system is “a system in which too much power is concentrated in the hands of the elite and denied to the man and woman on the street. We’ve been seeing the symptoms of that for years. Decisions made behind closed doors. The Houses of Parliament bypassed and undermined”.
He went on to say “We’re just weeks away from an election. This should be the highest point in our democratic life – but never has the reputation of politics sunk so low. We’ve got to fix our broken politics and we’ve got to start fixing it now”.
He also added that the Conservatives can lead the change needed “because as this scandal has unfolded we are the ones who have shown leadership at every stage. We led on transparency over expenses - and on getting MPS to payback the money. We voted for reform on a three line whip on an opposition motion - something that had not been done before on a House of Commons matter. And we put forward serious plans for reform - from Ken Clarke's Democracy Task Force in the first half of this parliament, to our plan for fixing broken politics in the second”.
David summed up his proposals saying “The plans I’ve set out today are not timid because they can’t be. Half measures cannot hope to fix what is wrong with our politics. So the reforms I’ve set out are born from radical ambitions – ambitions to restore pride in our Parliament, to return our democracy to full health, and to redistribute power as I’ve said.
But in the end it's not just about specific plans for political reform. It is about a whole new approach to politics.
We have had thirteen years of government by initiative, press release and media management and it is literally pointless. I would rather that we attempt big, serious change and fail than fiddle around with footling, meaningless promises that are never really meant, let alone delivered, limping through office and clinging to power for the sake of it.
You will not see endless relaunches, initiatives, summits - politics and government as some demented branch of the entertainment industry. You will see a government that understands that there are times it needs to shut up, leave people alone and gets on with the job it was elected to do.
Quiet effectiveness: that is the style of government to which I aspire. And I also know that because we believe in trusting people, sharing responsibility, redistributing power: things will go wrong. There will be failures.
But we will not turn that fact of life into the tragedy of Labour's risk-obsessed political culture where politicians never say or do anything that really matters, or really changes anything, for fear of getting some bad headlines.
This is why I really believe we are the people to fix broken politics”.
David Cameron is quite right to say that trust needs to be restored in politics. It needs to be done now, so that there is a framework laid down and agreed, which is in place for the parliament in which I hope to represent Brighton Kemptown.
He said the current system is “a system in which too much power is concentrated in the hands of the elite and denied to the man and woman on the street. We’ve been seeing the symptoms of that for years. Decisions made behind closed doors. The Houses of Parliament bypassed and undermined”.
He went on to say “We’re just weeks away from an election. This should be the highest point in our democratic life – but never has the reputation of politics sunk so low. We’ve got to fix our broken politics and we’ve got to start fixing it now”.
He also added that the Conservatives can lead the change needed “because as this scandal has unfolded we are the ones who have shown leadership at every stage. We led on transparency over expenses - and on getting MPS to payback the money. We voted for reform on a three line whip on an opposition motion - something that had not been done before on a House of Commons matter. And we put forward serious plans for reform - from Ken Clarke's Democracy Task Force in the first half of this parliament, to our plan for fixing broken politics in the second”.
David summed up his proposals saying “The plans I’ve set out today are not timid because they can’t be. Half measures cannot hope to fix what is wrong with our politics. So the reforms I’ve set out are born from radical ambitions – ambitions to restore pride in our Parliament, to return our democracy to full health, and to redistribute power as I’ve said.
But in the end it's not just about specific plans for political reform. It is about a whole new approach to politics.
We have had thirteen years of government by initiative, press release and media management and it is literally pointless. I would rather that we attempt big, serious change and fail than fiddle around with footling, meaningless promises that are never really meant, let alone delivered, limping through office and clinging to power for the sake of it.
You will not see endless relaunches, initiatives, summits - politics and government as some demented branch of the entertainment industry. You will see a government that understands that there are times it needs to shut up, leave people alone and gets on with the job it was elected to do.
Quiet effectiveness: that is the style of government to which I aspire. And I also know that because we believe in trusting people, sharing responsibility, redistributing power: things will go wrong. There will be failures.
But we will not turn that fact of life into the tragedy of Labour's risk-obsessed political culture where politicians never say or do anything that really matters, or really changes anything, for fear of getting some bad headlines.
This is why I really believe we are the people to fix broken politics”.
David Cameron is quite right to say that trust needs to be restored in politics. It needs to be done now, so that there is a framework laid down and agreed, which is in place for the parliament in which I hope to represent Brighton Kemptown.
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