In his 27 years as our local MP, Sir Michael Lord has amassed a wealth of understanding of local problems. On Friday morning, 4th December, I met and discussed with Sir Michael Lord and his wife Jenny about the important issues and challenges facing Central Suffolk and North Ipswich. Among the many aspects we covered Sir Michael highlighted supporting rural communities, looking after our senior citzens, the need to uprate skills, the need to tackle growing congestion around Ipswich, better rail services, the need to resist hosuing overdevelopment, risks to local healthcare from the proposed downgrading of Ipswich Hospital, contracting out of after hours care and the closure of community hospitals and the and strategies for tackling drugs and deprivation in North West Ipswich.
Over 200 registered electors attended the Open Primary meeting at Trinity Park on 27th November 2009. The six shortlisted candidates were interviwed in turn. Each candidate was first asked to say in 60 seconds why they wanted to be the MP for our constituency. There followed an interview by Rachel Sloane the questions from the floor and a summing up by the candidate. At the conclusion of the interviews the meeting voted in a secret ballot eliminating candidates until one obtained over 50% of the votes cast. Dan's selection was ratified by the 108 votes from the Constituency Executive Council. 4 members voted against and one abstained.
Dan joined Kesgrave's senior citizens at the Bell Inn for their Chrismas Lunch. This annual event is laid on by
Suffolk Coastal Councillor Debbie McCallum, landlady of the the Bell seen here wearing Santa Claus outfit.
Whilst visting the Hoxne Christmas Bazaar, Dan was briefed on the work Conservative
led Suffolk County Council is doing to improve transport infrastructure in Suffolk despite a shoe string
budget provided by Labour. Dan met and talked to a lot of people about supporting rural communities, bought a fruit
cake and donated money for the new toilets.
Dan is pictured with County Councillor Guy McGregor, Cabinet Member for Environment, Planning and Transport.
Dan visited Eye with County Councillor's Charles Michell and Eddy Alcock to introduce himself to residents and shopkeepers and to discuss ways of supporting Eye, rural communities and shops and the importance of developing a fully functioning community hospital with beds at Hartismere. In the evening he attended the switching on of the Christmas lights, visited the Christmas Fair in the Town Hall and discussed ways of supporting local projects for the Church and a New Roof for Eye Town Hall.
Dan is pictured outside the well know Bloomindales local store with County Councillor Robin Vickery reviewing issues in Whitton and Whitehouse. Later, he attended the Annual Dinner of the North Ipswich Association to discuss the key issues in Ipswich, stopping the Labour cuts at Ipswich Hospital and promoting Ipswich as a regional centre for employment.
Dan visited Treeincarnated in Dennington and talked to the owners Jeremy Lain and Andrew Smith about their high quality
handmade furniture and how I could best help to support local small businesses in these difficult economic times. In the
evening Dan joined senior citixens of the community at a fish and chip supper to talk about supporting older citizens and pensioners.
Dan was shown around the area by Suffolk Coastal Councillor Colin Walker. At the Framlingham Sports and Social Club which does a fantastic job in supporting over 200 youngster playing football every week as well as providing sport and recreation for older groups in the community he discussed with John Carr & Syd Vyce (Founder members of the club) ways to support the expansion of the club with a new community hall. At Framlingham Town Council he met with the Town Clerk about how I would envisage supporting the work of the Town Council after the election and how Conservatives want to give more power to local communities to look after themselves. He then joined Sgt Daye Goddard at Framlingham Police Station to talk about the low crime rate locally and how the Police are successfully working with the Conservative Council and local pubs to reduce under age drinking and anti-social behaviour.
The NFU in north Suffolk organised a tour of local farms for the prospective Conservatine candidate Daniel Poulter to meet local farmers and see first hand the issues surrounding agriculture. The day started at Lodge Farm, Westhorpe where David, Brian and Patrick Barker gave Daniel a tour of the farm which included arable production and the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme which is delivering amazing wildlife benefits. This was followed by a visit to Peter Mortimore's pig unit at Metfield to see high quality pigs produced for local markets to a standard not met by imported pigmeat. After lunch at the Ivy House at Stradbroke, the group of 15 farmers and NFU representitives met Peter Saunders and were impressed by his superb cattle which were experiencing minimal profitability. The day was completed at Trevor Edward's farm at Redlingfield where the party experienced turkey production to a particularly high standard and followed it with full a discussion on general farming. David Barker who organised the day said we were able to give Daniel an insight into the difficulties facing farmind today and show close up the very high standards that Suffolk farmers achieve in terms of animal welfare, conservation and food quality. Daniel Poulter said he was grateful to the NFU for organising a superb and useful day that gave him a full flavour of farming issues!
Dan visited the Hartismere Hospital site with Mid Suffolk Councilor Liz Gibson-Harries (Chairman of the Friends of Hartismere Hospital) and County Councillor Guy Mcgregor to talk about the proposed new health village with 60 intermediate care and respite care beds for Hartismere. It is vital that Hartismere Hospital is reopened again as a fully functioning hospital site to provide close to home care for older people in our community needing step down care from Ipswich and Bury Hospitals after suffering heart attacks and broken hips.
Dan attended the AGM of the Kesgrave Branch to meet the local Conservative Branch and talk about the need to protect
Fenton's wood from development as an important countryside space for the local community and to discuss the need for close
to home cardiac and cancer care services at Ipswich Hospital.
Dan met with the Save Our Countryside Spaces Group and the Northern Fringe Anti-Development Ggroup to show his support against development of the northern fringe of Ipswich and against the proposed 15,000 new homes that are planned to be built under Central Government dictat.
Promoted by Sue Powell on behalf of Daniel Poulter, both of 19 The Business Centre, Earl Soham, Woodbridge IP13 7SA.