No Port privatisation !!

I am against privatising the port of Dover. This question was asked by the Dover Express last week and deserves a clear answer. So I hope that's clear!

What's more, I have persuaded the Conservative Parliamentary party to change its official position. So I can also give an assurance that a Conservative Government will not privatise the port of Dover. There will be no port privatisation on my watch.

A "U turn"? Absolutely. A humiliation? More like an unashamed ability to listen to what people say. Something I would recommend to the current Government who have welshed on their manifesto commitment to a referendum on Europe, whose economic incompetence is seriously threatening our personal finances and who work day and night to close our hospital for a little "polyclinic" in the face of passionate opposition.

People tell me not enough has been done for Dover by the current Government and that politicians don't listen enough. That we don't get our fair share. I want to change that. Change to get a richer, safer Dover with better healthcare. Change to representatives that listen more. So please do get in touch with me on 01304 379669 or elphicke@doverconservatives.com.

I'd like to hear what you want to see for you, your children and the future. I am here to listen, to help and above all to serve.

Sea Scouts ready to grow

With Cllr Nick Kenton, I went to see Dover Sea Scouts.

Their motto is "Ready aye Ready" and they are ready to grow their numbers. The Scouts, based at TS Lynx near Connaught barracks, are hoping to take on more cadets.

The Sea Scouts are so important to our community. The kids learn the importance of teamwork and respect - things too often missing in our neighbourhoods. The cadets have great fun there and they are as keen as mustard. There are 40 cadets in total and I hope more people will sign up.

They are lead by Lt Sheila Watson, who's a great leader and a real inspiration. I hope community money can be found to do up their building and increase capacity. This picture is Cllr Kenton, myself and the cadets.

Why do we feel so broke?

I recently published a report with the Centre for Policy Studies called "Why we feel so broke?". It got masses of national coverage - The News of the World, Telegraph, Sunday Times, Daily Mail, Express as well as the Radio 4 Today programme, lots of other radio, Channel 4 News and local papers like Your Dover and the Dover Express (but not, of course, the East Kent Mercury).

The report shows that the average UK family is paying almost £8,000 a year more in tax than in 1997, while stagnating earnings are making it harder for households to meet these and other rising costs, a report claimed today.

The average household now pays around £16,938 in taxes - £7,800 more than when Labour first came to power. The rise, when combined with "excessive debt" and the increasing costs of servicing a mortgage and paying bills, means households are very vulnerable to any economic downturn.

The increases in taxation and the recent availability of easy credit is a potentially toxic mixture.
Until recently, average families were able to absorb tax increases partly through rising salaries and greater levels of personal debt. But since 2005 increases in disposable income after tax and housing costs have stalled or gone into reverse.

To see the report, go to this link: http://www.cps.org.uk/cpsfile.asp?id=997

Time for fairness on immigration

After 10 years of the current Labour Government, our roads are no better, our hospital is closure threatened and a record one in four are workless locally.

Last week the Government moved backwards on border security. And it's a real shame. Immigration minister Liam Byrne visited Dover. He could have got on a ferry to Calais and visited our overworked immigration officials there. He could have asked the French why they have banned stowaway detecting scanners.

But no . . . he announced yet another agency instead! We really need a proper border police force with full powers to secure our borders. The Dover Removal Centre is staffed with excellent and committed officers. Yet they are let down by the Home Office which lets a third of people get bail and apparently vanish.

It's not just a matter of border security. It's humanity too. Thanks to the Home Office a lot of people who are not bailed are stuck at the Dover Removal Centre (pictured) in limbo for years. They may have committed no crime yet they get more time than the average robber or paedophile. So I've worked hard to help people in that position to have fair treatment. They have a right to a fast decision - and so do we who pay for their imprisonment. Scanners can save lives. Too many stowaways die, like the 58 Chinese who suffocated.

This mix of incompetence with lack of compassion stains us all.

Pressing health chiefs on our hospitals

I recently put the case for local hospital based care when I met with local health chiefs. I met the Primary Care Trust chief executive Anne Sutton and Director Lynne Selman to discuss my plan for a new or refurbished hospital in Dover and health upgrades in Deal.

We need to see improved urgent care, diagnostics like X-rays, a special focus on elderly care, day surgery and hospital based care beds. We had a useful discussion of how Dover's healthcare can be improved after a decade in which Labour has destroyed Dover's Buckland's hospital. I believe the Primary Care Trust are doing the best they can for us but are prevented from doing more by Central Government.

We discussed the future of Deal Hospital. They are doing everything they can to make sure the excellent care there will be safeguarded, yet with this Government closing so many hospitals, we cannot be sure.

The problems of local healthcare have been well aired by the Dover Express. On the other hand, these issues have not been explored so deeply by media in Deal, which is a shame given the dangers faced by Deal's own hospital. We are really lucky to have some real fighters in our community who are making sure this issue is kept high on the agenda. I would like to congratulate the many people who have worked so hard for us all to have decent healthcare locally - people like Lorraine Sencicle, Reg and Wendy Hansell and Pauline Majors, who all care so much.

Jamie Oliver eat your heart out!

School food in Deal and Sandwich is prepared with the finest ingredients from local suppliers and cooked in a traditional way by local social action company Whole School Meals.

I visited St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Walmer and Castle Community College in Deal and was very impressed. I heard from school heads what an amazing difference healthy food made to the students' success. The school dinners were amazing. Whole School Meals want to see a wider take up of their brainfood by children - especially those who qualify for free school meals.

Seems to me that schools in Deal are living the Jamie Oliver dream - the kids are so lucky. A big congratulations to Whole School Meals. Yet strangely, quite a lot of children are bringing packed lunches to school - especially those qualifying for free school meals. I tried to get the East Kent Mercury to give more exposure to the benefits for kids on free school meals, but they didn't want to join in. I think that's a real shame.

A20 resurfacing

Much concern has been expressed about the A20 resurfacing. Diversions are necessary around Dover at night, seemingly because HMRC freight clearance would not move to the Eastern docks or Whitfield.

DDC Cllr Nigel Collor and I expressed concern about this having been to the Highways Agency exhibition and seen the extent of the diversions that were planned.

Building a better Dover

In December 2007, local Conservatives helped organise a transport day which was attended by Shadow Shipping Minister Julian Brazier MP, Shadow Roads Minister Robert Goodwill MP, Cllr Nigel Collar and myself. Under discussion was a long term solution for operation stack with a lorry parkand a plan to free up the centre of Dover from lorries.

We put forward the idea of lorry parks to stop the Stack. We have also put forward the proposal for fully duelling the A2. This should, of course, been done 10 years ago. It was axed from the roads programme by John Prescott and is an example of the way we have been disgracefully neglected.

We also put forward the proposal that the A2 should be the route to the Eastern docks and the M20 to the Western docks once built. This would free up the centre of Dover and help the regneration plans to be a success. That KCC have taken these matters up and that Shadow Ministers visit is evidence that a Conservative Government would end the years of underinvestment in our community. That's why we need change.

Photo (L to R) C Cllr Keith Ferrin (Tranport Cabinet Member KCC) Cllr NigelCollar (Transport Cabinet Member DDC), Robert Goodwill MP, Julian Brazier MP and Charlie Elphicke

Carols at the Dover Removal Centre

I attended the most moving carol service at the Dover Removal Centre. There I met with many of detainees and listened to their stories of how they ended up in the removal centre.

Some people think that border security is simply about chucking people out of the country. They say it doesn't happen often enough and the Government has been weak on the issue. Yes, Britain is pretty much full and yes the Government has made a real mess of things, allowing our borders to be highly porous and not getting a grip on bogus asylum seekers.

Yet that does not mean we should lack compassion. We should always be willing to hold out a hand to those in real need of asylum. And when we have allowed people to come to Britain, when they have put down roots and built a family, I cannot find it in my heart to say they should be thrown out and the family split up. So I have taken up cases such as these and done my best to help.

Labour have killed our Post Offices

A short update to my previous post. It is now confirmed that all 6 post offices in the Dover & Deal constituency will close. Labour have really lost the plot - this means that many communities will effectively have no post office services. It's absolutely tragic.

I'd like to pay tribute to the many in the community who fought valiantly to put a stop to the closures. And to councillors of all parties who fought hard for the community.