Jeff J Clarke

Following criticism of claims made by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling, an independant study of the crime statistics have backed his claims. This will be a huge embarassment to the Labour Government who have talked a good game and passed a blizzard of new legislation. As a practising barrister i have thought that much of it added very little of real use to the criminal justice system, and often caused more problems for Judges and Magistrates. It is worrying that the growing tide of violent crime and the carrying and regular use of weapons appears to have proceeded largely unchecked by this government who appear to be more concerned with headlines than effective solutions. In additon drink related crime and resultant domestic violence are also growing problems, that the hard pressed police forces could do without.

The other area that continues to reveal worrying information about this government and its stewardship ofour country is the financing of the armed forces. An inquest into the death off four of our troops, incuding the first female soilder to be killed in Afganistan, was critical of the training and some of the equipment supplied to these troops. The allegtion that our current Prime Minister in his then role of Chancellor underfunded the armed forces continues to raise itself in different ways. The truth of this allegtion is rejected by the PM, but one has to say that these allegations seem to have legs. I know what i think – most people will have made up their own minds also.

More nails in the coffin of Labour and Gordon Brown? -I think so.

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Gordon Brown has rightly come under fire for the timing of his latest trip to Afganistan to visit our troops. It is of course right that our Prime Minister should make these visits as they are crucial for moral in what is very difficult and dangerous conditions. The Prime Minister has `previous` for trying to use these visits for his own narrow political ends. We all remember his visit in 2007 during the Conservative Party conference. That turned out to be just before the election that never was.

This visit was straight after his appearance before the Chilcot Inquiry, and as he flew out of the UK, Gordon left behind a number of senior military figurs who have called the accuracy of his evidence into question. In particular, the question of whether our armed forces were properly financed, and if Gordon Brown had actually cut the helicopter budget by £1.4 billion. It seems clear to many observers that the words and phrases used by Gordon Brown at the Inquiry reveals only part of what was actually going on at the time. I hope that the inquiry will now consider recalling Geoff Hoon and Sir Kevin Tebbit.
Browns attempt to push those questioning his evidence off the news agenda, andreplace it with his visit is cynical and true to form. The more we learn about the way this PM works the less attractive it appears. The timing of the visit stinks and is an affront to the men and women serving in this dangerous theatre. The public will not be fooled.

Twitter:JeffJClarke

Today started with the wrapping of the gift and the writing of the card for my better half. It was then out for a delivery session in a number of target areas in the constituency. People were very positive and friendly and a lot of good work was done today. Many thanks to all those who gave up a few hours of their Sunday, and a special Sunday at that.

I watched the England v Italy rugby match. The Italians were great and made England toil for their victory. Italy had their chances, and the impartial observer may well have been urging the Italians on in the last ten minutes. England manager, Martin Johnson really must get to grips with the tactical strategy of the team. The playes are either following a very flawed pre-determined strategy or they are terrified to have a go and play with the very instincts that saw them selected in the first place.

Half term in school is here again. An expensive timefor many parents as they keep their children occupied. I will like many other parents, i`m sure will receive the daily request for money to go to the cinema etc. I`d better get preparing for tomorrow.

Everybody wants to give older people more support in their old age, especially the most vulnerable. That is why a Conservative Government will introduce a Home Protection Scheme, a voluntary insurance programme to allow people – for a one off £8,000 payment – to make sure they never have to sell their home to pay for residential care.

But Labour’s plans to introduce a National Care Service are in chaos. Gordon Brown is said to be keeping secret plans to levy a death tax of up to £20,000 on every person in England, and new research says he’ll also need to increase council tax by £26 a year to pay for his plans for social care for the elderly. The Prime Minister needs to come clean about who will pay the price for these new services.

The Prime Minister was put to the sword about this today at Prime Ministers Questions. He refused to rule out such a move and appeared evasive and shifty.

Typical! When will this man give a straight answer to a straight question.

MP s’ expenses

This is the beginning of the end of this sorry chapter for Parliament. It is essential that all MPs pay back the amounts recommended. If they refuse to do so, the money should be taken off their salaries. This should be part of a broader reform of politics that includes cutting the size of the House of Commons, cutting Ministers’ pay, and complete transparency on expenses.

Chilcot Inquiry: Brown guillotined defence spending

It is becoming clear from the Chilcot Inquiry that the Government in general, and the Prime Minister in particular, made a series of bad decisions that meant that our Armed Forces were not equipped properly when they were sent into harm’s way. Gordon Brown’s claims are completely at odds with what witness after witness has said to the Chilcot Inquiry. Soldier after soldier has complained about the lack of body armour, vehicles and equipment, and we now know that the service chiefs threatened to resign en masse. The evidence is mounting that the Prime Minister ignored the welfare of our Armed Forces right up until the moment it became politically convenient to do otherwise.

The conversion by Gordon Brown to the `Alternative Vote`method of electing our MP`s is no more than a cynical attempt to win over voters who have deserted the Labour Party and more particularly Liberal Democrats. It seems to be a desperate attempt to hang onto power by laying the ground for a coalition with the Liberal Democrats in the event of a hung parliament. The fact that this is raised so close to a general election belies this apparent interllectual conversion and appears to be final confirmation that he accepts that he cannot win his first election as leader of the Labour Party.

The problem is that it will nothveth desired effect. It is just naked self interest and based upon the calculation that the Labour Party will win more seats on current votes cast. The Conservatives would win less seats on current votes cast.

It seems that Gordon is keen to have referendum on electoral reform, but would not have one on the EU Lisbon Treaty – which was a manifesto pledge.

Clare short was damning about the Tony Blair style of govement and was of the view that the then Attorney- General Lord Goldsmith, had misled te Cabinet about the legality of the proposed Iraq war. Perhaps the most damaging piece of evidence was that she belived that he was sincere in his belief that he was right about the war. It was that absolute belief that he was right, that made him prepared to deceive. A deadly session at the Inquiry. She was applauded by the members in thepublic gallery at the conclusion.

An interesting day overall.

Severe child poverty going up

These figures are a damning indictment of Labour’s record. Despite targeting child poverty, Labour’s approach was failing even before the recession. We can’t go on like this. Labour’s one dimensional approach with its focus on shifting people from just below the poverty line to just above it has failed to tackle the long-term causes of poverty, such as children growing up in workless households, educational failure and family breakdown. We need a change to tackle these issues and address the causes of poverty. A Conservative government would give specialist help to get people into work through our Work Programme to get Britain working, would bring in a pupil premium which would target more help at poorer pupils and would remove the couple penalty in the tax credit system which would lift 300,000 children out of poverty.

Inequality at highest level since WWII

It is truly shocking that after 13 years of a Labour Government, inequality has grown to the highest levels seen since the Second World War.  It is unbelievable that Labour thinks it can claim to be the party of aspiration when its failure to tackle the causes of poverty has let down so many lives. 

We can’t go on like this. We need a change from Labour’s failed one-dimensional approach to tackling poverty and inequality. Conservatives will tackle the causes of poverty and inequality, not just the symptoms, through radical policies to address educational failure, family breakdown and worklessness.

In my New Year message three years ago, I said that I wanted the modern Conservative Party to be a voice for change, optimism and hope.  What was true in the good times is even truer now that times are tough, and getting tougher.  People are looking to us for hope in these dark days, and we must be ready to offer it: hard-edged hope, built on a clear-sighted analysis of what has gone wrong and how we can put it right.

That provides this Party with three important tasks for 2009.  First, we must show that we have learned the lessons of Labour’s Debt Crisis and will never let it happen again.  Second, we must offer constructive and positive ideas to help keep people in work and in their homes, and make sure the recession is as short, shallow and painless as possible.  But third and perhaps most important of all, we must set out our positive vision of change: to describe the new economy and the new society that we want to build once the recession is over and the recovery underway.

Labour have failed in these tasks, and that’s why the country needs change.  Far from learning the lessons of their Debt Crisis, Labour are making it worse by choosing to borrow even more.  Instead of constructive and positive ideas to help save jobs – like the National Loan Guarantee Scheme that we have proposed – Labour are wasting billions of pounds on useless schemes like their temporary VAT cut. And above all, instead of moving forward to a new economic vision, they are taking Britain straight back to the arrogant, big government-knows-best ideas that bankrupted our country the last time Labour were in power, in the 1970s.

This means that the choice facing the country will be clearer in 2009 than it has been for a while: a choice between the past and the future.

Labour say that their Debt Crisis calls for even more borrowing, even bigger government, and a return to 1970s-style subsidy and state control – with every utterance from Gordon Brown now confirming that ‘New Labour’ is dead.

By contrast, the modern Conservative vision is of responsible government and responsible business helping to build a responsible 21st century nation – where social reform and decentralisation strengthen our society, where a stronger society reduces demands on the taxpayer, and where lower taxes, a less interfering, bureaucratic state and green growth combine to produce a sustainable economy.

So far from dropping our green agenda because of the recession, we will this year step up the pace because leadership on the environment will help create the jobs, wealth and opportunity Britain needs.  Far from dropping our commitment to make British poverty history, we will this year intensify it because we must not allow this recession to create social problems and costs for the future.  And far from dropping our commitment to help the poorest people on the planet because times are tough at home, we will re-affirm in 2009 both the moral and the practical case for fighting global poverty.

For us, the strong economy of the future will be built on a strong and responsible society.  The Emperor Hadrian, when asked how Rome would be rebuilt after a devastating fire, replied: “Brick by brick, my citizens; brick by brick.”

That is how we will rebuild our broken economy and our broken society – business by business, family by family, community by community.  Not through imposing some kind of state blueprint from above, like Gordon Brown wants to do, but by allowing the talent and effort and incredible character of British people to shine.  That is the greatest source of hope we have.  That is why I’m optimistic about our country’s future. And that is why we need change now.

People can see that Labour have been in power too long.  They have been corrupted by power, and their arrogance means they cannot now see their mistakes, let alone correct them.  It’s no surprise that the person who helped break our economy and our society won’t admit they’re broken. It’s no surprise that a Prime Minister whose decisions over a decade helped cause the Debt Crisis; who failed to prepare the country for the gathering storm, and whose irresponsible extra borrowing will now deepen and lengthen the recession turns round and tells us the recession will be a test of everyone else’s character.  The Prime Minister tells us to find our blitz spirit when he is the one dropping the bombs – the tax and debt bombshells that are taking Britain to the brink of bankruptcy.

This government has lost its moral compass.  Where is the morality in asking our children to pay off our debts?  Where is the morality in encouraging people who have already borrowed too much to borrow a little more?  Where is the morality in trying to reflate the bubble and return the country to the age of irresponsibility that led us to this mess?

It has to end – and the sooner the better.  The longer Labour are in, the worse it gets.  So let’s make sure we’re ready for an election at any time, and let’s do all we can to make sure that 2009 is the year when change comes to Britain too.