Teignbridge Matters: Looking back over 2009

Read Anne Marie’s views in her weekly column; an advertisement sponsored by Conservative supporters.

It has been a roller coaster of a year and as 2009 begins to draw to a close I thought I would just put it all in perspective.

A bleak start to 2009

In January this year the national debt was set to double to one trillion pounds and the budget deficit to be the highest in our history – the government have not disappointed us. We have a huge debt mountain to climb. Businesses couldn’t borrow – and still can’t. President Obama, newly inaugurated, represented the light of hope. I think the jury is still out – three steps forward and two steps back.

My school underfunding petition continued to gain momentum – and after many chilly mornings on the school gate, I collected 2,300 signatures and presented this at 10 Downing Street in the spring – but this government just isn’t listening. By September 2009 we were still receiving £375 less per pupil than the national average and we are still languishing near the bottom of the funding league table. Please sign the further Devon petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/handsup4schools - every signature counts.

The Easter Bunny

The economy going from bad to worse, Gordon Brown hoped the G20 would support his demand for further fiscal stimulus…. a vote for throwing good money after bad. The G20 did not oblige and the Easter Bunny did not emerge from his hat. Local businesses continued to suffer and I invited Tobias Ellwood MP, Shadow Minister for Tourism to come to listen to the particular problems of the Warren Trading Association out at Dawlish Warren and businesses across the South West at Newton Abbot Racecourse. But it is the large businesses that need help too. Philip Hammond, Shadow Secretary to the Treasury came down to visit Centrax to listen to the challenges of the engineering sector.

Chris Grayling Shadow Home Secretary and Grant Shapps, Shadow Housing Minister both came to visit in the spring. Chris was very impressed with Newton Abbot’s award winning CCTV monitoring system. Grant came to explore what could be done to move forward the affordable housing agenda, particularly in rural villages. We were delighted to welcome David Cameron in May to visit Decoy School – he was very impressed with what he saw. One young lad had his plaster cast signed – I wonder what happened to that!

June 4th…and a long wet summer!

Suddenly politics and politicians are centre stage as the Telegraph launches its campaign to clean up politics. Their exposé was well overdue and politics will be better going forward as a result. Chris Kelly’s recommendations need to be reviewed as soon as possible – I find it incredible that Gordon had not set to work to establish the necessary implementation committee months ago!

But June 4th was a memorable day. Devon County Council fell to the Conservatives in a remarkable landslide. Here we saw a 7% swing to the Conservatives and of the seven county seats in this constituency we took five – from a standing start of just one seat. The sixth we only just lost 191 votes and in the seventh we almost halved Gordon Hook’s majority. John Hart, our new County Leader has one key thing now on his mind – how to maintain quality while cutting costs and council tax.

But boy was it a wet summer! The rainfall in July was twice the national average. But as we Brits do – we kept going! I judged sandcastles, presented prizes at the Ipplepen Flower Show, opened the village Olympics in Ashcombe, rowed in the Shaldon Regatta and had huge fun in the Shaldon Water Carnival as a member of the winning “Radio Caroline” team. On Armed Forces Day I celebrated in Dawlish the huge contribution our serving men and women make with the British Legion.

A winter of discontent

The postmen are on strike again. Mail order businesses in Newton Abbot felt the pinch as orders for Christmas were coming in. Mark Prisk and John Penrose – both members of the Shadow Cabinet’s Business and Enterprise team, came to listen to local businesses’ concerns. The results of my business survey confirmed what they heard. Business rates are soaring, National Insurance is killing young businesses – and red tape is beyond belief. This has to change.

At this time of year, health issues come into sharp focus. I was delighted to be invited to see a training course for Dementia carers at Forde Park Care. This is such an important issue and we must find a way to provide a better quality of life. Mental health problems are still a social taboo and that has to change. I am waiting for the results of David Radford’s review, at my request, of adult out- patient mental health care provision and the provision of renal dialysis services at the new Newton Abbot Hospital. As soon as I hear I will let you know.

Next time…..Christmas issue – celebrating families

Getting in touch

Please do feel free to get in touch at annemarie@annemariemorris.co.uk or 01626 368277. You can text me on 07712 004733 and follow what I am doing on my website: www.annemariemorris.co.uk. I would love to meet you at our next event– see www.newtonabbotconservatives.org.uk