Does no-one want to be a Lib Dem any more?

Will the Lib Dems ever get round to selecting a Parliamentary candidate? For ages now, the sitting Labour MP for Dover & Deal and I have been setting out our stalls . . . but from the Lib Dems, hardly a peep. I raise it, as people are beginning to ask if they've given up altogether. They are certainly cutting it a bit fine, as there is talk of a General Election as early as next year.

What exactly is going on with Dover & Deal's Lib Dems? Have they have just lost their way locally or does no-one want to be their candidate? Last time, their candidate was the excellent Antony Hook, whose blog I highly recommend. Antony likes to take a pop at me (who says politics isn't fun any more?!), albeit a touch bitter at times (but then they did get thumped in the by election, so it's all quite understandable).

So who will stand for the Lib Dems . . . ?

Servant of all I survey

It's amazing how much you find out simply by listening to what people have to say. And it helps me greatly in my work to understand what people would hope to see. After all, if you don't know what people want, how can you work effectively on their behalf? So I am asking every voter in Dover & Deal what they think in a constituency suvey.

This isn't simply a homespun homily. Abraham Lincoln said in the famous "Gettysburg Address":

"Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth"

I also take this as a reminder that the job of everyone in public life is to listen, to serve and, above all, to represent. Too often politicians seem but slavish party toadies - lobby fodder who say little in Parliament and vote as they are told without much thought for the people who elected them. The worst tell their constituents one thing and then go up to Parliament and vote in the opposite direction. No wonder public trust in politicians is so low when this sort of stuff goes on.

No-one should be arrogant enough to believe they will do a perfect job or change the World - although we might hope to get lucky! Yet my hope is that I will never get tired or forget the interests of the people whose trust I would hope to serve.

Coffee at Nigel's place

Cllr Nigel Collor kindly hosted a ward coffee morning, open for any resident of Dover's Castle Ward to drop in. It was great to meet people and have a chat over a cup of coffee. The excellent Doverforum reporters came an took the photo here and posted it on their website.

What issues came up? Residents in the Gateway Flats are concerned about the proposal for a cable car up to the Castle. They told me it would go right over the flats and would be very ugly - as well as a potential safety hazard. One gentleman was understandably worried about planning permission that had been granted for a house next door that would take away all his light.

On a lighter note, I was also asked why I don't wear a tie very often . . . at this point a picture of (a tieless!) David Cameron was waved disapprovingly in my direction. What can I say? I guess I'm just not a very buttoned up kind of guy!

Pictured: Cllr Roger Frayne, Cllr David Hannent, Thomas Mitchell, Cllr Roger Walkden, Barry Wadsworth-Smith of the Doverforum, Cllr Nigel Collor, and me . . . tieless!

Mandie's brilliant result in St Radigunds

Many congratulations to Conservative candidate Mandie Sehmbi who came within 25 votes of capturing the St Radigunds ward council seat in a by election.

Labour just clung on to the seat in an area traditionally solid for them. Mandie was, until recently, the organiser of Dover's Carnival.

Full credit to the Lib Dems who, though they may struggle to find anyone prepared to stand as their Parliamentary candidate, did work very hard to gain a greater share of the vote. It was understandable that they should feel a little bitter at getting just 12% of the vote after giving it such a good go.

The full results were:

Viv Revell (Labour) 244

Mandie Sehmbi (Conservative) 219

Lib Dems 93

Dover Alliance 86

Independent 72

Independent 32

On the campaign trail in St Radigunds

By elections are great fun. A chance to meet people on the doorstep and talk about issues of concern. The biggest issue raised with me by voters in this traditionally strongly Labour supporting area is the shocking treatment of Buckland Hospital.

To say people are disgusted would be an understatement. They tell me how the sitting Labour MP made it a big issue that he'd save the hospital back in 1997. Yet now its closing, to be replaced by a polyclinic. People are upset and tell me they just don't feel he's really fought very hard for Dover. They say he's more interested in following the party whip than speaking up for our interest.

There's a lesson here I won't forget. You have to fight for hopes and aspirations of the people you represent.

Mandie Sehmbi for St Radigunds!

Well known local campaigner Mandie Sehmbi is the Conservative candidate for the St Radigund’s by election. I have long been struck by how passionate Mandie is about Dover. She tells me she is incredibly angry about Labour palming off Dover with a polyclinic - she wants to be Dover have a proper hospital. Until recently, Mandie organised the Dover carnival. The most recent one being a total success.

Mandie is also angry that Labour Ministers have allowed port jobs to be privatised. She says it's an insult to Dover. Mandie thinks the lack of investment in Dover is an insult. That we deserve our fair share and we aren't getting it.

Some people say no-one in politics believes in anything anymore . . . to them I say Mandie is your answer!

Go Whites!

Dover Athletic's performance against AFC Wimbledon was brilliant! The game ended nil all and will be replayed on Tuesday.

Wimbledon is way higher in the league than the Whites. Yet Dover had the upper hand throughout the game. What a performance! And all before a capacity crowd too. It all goes to show how the club is going from strength to strength. Congratulations to the team.

In the photo I'm with club director and leading local businessman Roger Knight

Time for change at Dover Town Council

For years, Dover Town Council has been a virtual one party state. Labour have been in power there so long, the hunger for new ideas and innovation is weaker than Dover deserves. It's time for a change.

This year, the Council Tax has gone up by 29.6%, with further increases planned for next year. And a lot of the money is wasted. £1000s are being spent on leaflets which are never delivered. £11,500 was wasted on producing fridge magnets.

Not so long ago, I proposed that Dover twin with the town of Fuzhou in China. I worked hard to deliver the opportunity . . . yet it was rejected out of hand. That's a shame as twinning with a great city and province of some 7 million people from the fastest growth country on the planet could have brought jobs, money and investment to our community.

To me this highlights all that's wrong with the council - insular, backward and inward looking. In these difficult times, all of us in public service need to work harder than ever to deliver the hopes, aspirations and dreams of the people we work for. There is just not enough money in Dover and our community deserves its fair share.

There will shortly be a council by election in the traditional Labour heartland of St Radigunds. The record of the council will come under scrutiny. The Conservatives will stand as it's time the people of Dover had a real choice.

No port privatisation!

I attended Dover's Port Consultative Committee the other day. There I said that the Port of Dover is a national asset and should remain so. The need for National Security and Border Security are overwhelming that the Port should remain an asset of the nation.

So I totally oppose the privatisation of the Port for these reasons. I am deeply unhappy about the recent changes at the Port which amount to privatisation. I am deeply concerned that the Ministry of Transport were not only consulted about the changes, but appear to have approved them.

The Ports Minister, who turned up the other day, and the current Member of Parliament should clarify exactly what the Ministry's role in this was a matter of urgency. They also need to level with the community whether they will permit further privatisation or "outsourcing" of Port jobs.

I am worried about Government's future plans for the Port. The Western Docks development will require a lot of money. Possibly more money than the Port has available on its own. It may require a joint venture partner. If that happens, it is essential that the Dover Harbour Board retain management control of the joint venture. It would not be right for the Port to be under the control of European or Middle Eastern interests - again on grounds of National and Border Security.

These are my thoughts and I would be genuinely interested to hear what people think about the way ahead. The Port is Dover's largest employer by far and critical to our economy. It's therefore vital that we all work together to get the best result.

Building a Britain everyone can be part of

The gap between rich and poor has been increasing. For me changing this and building a Britain that everyone can be part of is a key reason I got involved in public life.

Gordon Brown’s Government has taken people for granted and let them down. He doesn’t understand what it’s like to live on a low income when the cost of living is rising. That’s why he raised taxes for the least well-off when he cut them for the wealthier. His boasts about crime show how out of touch he is. Anti-social behaviour and alcohol fuelled crime are real problems for our area - and violent crime is a real worry. Just go out in Dover town centre on a Saturday evening . . .

David Cameron's Conservatives want to help the least well-off. That’s why we are putting forward ideas to heal our broken society and proposals to help needy pensioners. Locally, the Conservatives are spearheading the regeneration of Dover and Deal. The road upgrades we are proposing will also help to create more jobs. A few months ago, I began talks to build up links with the massive Chinese city of Fuzhou to get more investment locally - yet Dover Labour voted that down so they have gone elsewhere. What a waste and a terrible missed opportunity!

Nationally and locally Labour are just not helping us. We deserve better.