The Justice Secretary should bow out

I have been concerned about Justice Secretary, Ken Clarke ever since the election.  His unwise comments of last week are not the only issue, they are an indicator of a much bigger problem - which is that his whole stance on criminal justice seems to challenge a fundamental belief of most Conservatives.

Some crimes justify nothing else other than long sentences.  Repeated crime justifies nothing other than long jail sentences.  That is my view and, I suspect, that of most of my Conservative colleagues.  Punishment should be hard, but so should rehabilitation.  A Justice Secretary that fundamentally undermines this core principle, doesn't just do us damage as a Government, he undermines the values of the party.  If the Conservative Party loses its reputation as THE party of law and order, it will take a long sustained effort to wrestle it back.

I have massive respect for what Ken Clarke achieved as Chancellor, but I am increasingly of the view that in the interests of the Conservative Party he needs to stand down.

Quiz Night at the Conservative Club

Whittlesey branch of North East Cambridgeshire Conservatives are holding a fund-raising quiz night this Friday. Tickets are £8.00 per person and include a fish and chip supper.  The event is being held at the Conservative Club, with the fun starting at 7.30.  Maximum team size is 6.

I suspect tickets will sell out - but if you want any, get in touch

Lord Young needed to go

I often defended Labour politicians who were threatened with the axe following gaffes so you might expect me to defend Lord Young who was forced to stand down from an advisory role yesterday because of his remarks to the Telegraph that people in this country "had never had it so good."

In Cambridgeshire we have good staff who are facing redundancy as a result of the cuts we are having to make. I cannot justify what Lord Young said in those circumstances and I think the decision to leave was the right one.

It makes the Conservatives appear so out of touch, when I know that is not the case,(which I think is proven by David Cameron's response).

Andy Coulson will have to resign

Andy Coulson left his job at the News of the World because phone tapping happened on his watch.  He has already paid the price.  The only significant development since then is that one of the people that was sacked - someone who absolutely has an axe to grind - has made allegations that the person who sacked him was culpable.  I really struggle to see the story.

I am sure you would say that I am bound to say that.  Well, maybe - but there were times under the Labour Government where I supported Ministers when everyone else was screaming for resignations.

The shame is that I suspect Andy Coulson is going to have to resign whatever happens in future.  The job of a Head of Communications is to manage the news and communications, and when you become the news that makes the job impossible - so unfounded allegations are almost certainly going to cost him his livelihood.  Shame.

Meeting with Tim Loughton MP - Minister for Children

I had a meeting with Tim Loughton MP, the Minister for Children today.  I have met him a few times before when he was Shadow Minister, he was also one of the people who was kind enough to drop me a good luck note when I stood for Parliament in Nottingham North earlier in the year.   It was a pleasure being able to chat now that he is in power and has Governmental responsibility for children's services.

Much of our conversation was about future direction.   Whilst everyone is awaiting the spending announcements in October with anticipation and not a little concern, (and we all know tough times are ahead financially), it is reassuring to know that the Government's view is very hands off, preferring to look at what Councils produce and stepping in where necessary rather than managing in micro-detail from Westminster - which is what we had from the Labour Government.   It means we can take a much more Cambridgeshire focussed view of what we do instead of continually reacting to diktats.

This is exactly what the Conservatives promised in the election campaign; it is good to see it happening in reality.