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New MP Damian Collin made his maiden speech in the House of Commons today and wasted no time in bringing the issue of a new power station at Dungeness before the House. Here is a transcript of todays maiden speech.

Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) (Con): It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for North Antrim (Ian Paisley). It seems that his constituency has yet another passionate and powerful advocate to represent it in this Chamber. I am sure that Members will also have been delighted to see his father present in the Gallery to witness his speech. I, too, have the distinction of following in giant footsteps, and I am particularly pleased to have the opportunity so early in this Parliament to pay tribute to my predecessor, Michael Howard.

Michael Howard will be known by many Members on both sides of the House for his 27 years of service to his constituents and his fine record in Government, too, as Secretary of State for the Environment and for Employment and—I hope that my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) will allow me this observation at this moment—as possibly the finest Home Secretary that this country has seen since the war. He will also be fondly remembered by Members on this side of the House for his leadership of our party. He did not lead us to ultimate victory, but we would credit him with turning the corner of our fortunes and laying the foundations for the success that we enjoyed at the last general election. I was also privileged in my four years as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Folkestone and Hythe to benefit from his friendship, judgment and insight. I was very grateful for that.

In an interview for a book published recently, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister mentioned that Michael Howard had one of those brilliant lawyerly minds that meant that he could win an argument even when he was in the wrong. I am sure that all those who have known him and worked with him will have seen that quality represented first hand. He was undoubtedly one of the finest politicians of his generation in the Conservative party and we remember him warmly for that. He was also dogged and determined in the pursuit of the interests of his constituents. In that regard, he was certainly a man who had something of the fight about him and something of the right about him.

I have the distinction of being the fourth Member to be elected to serve the constituency of Folkestone and Hythe since its creation in 1950, although the Cinque Port towns of Hythe and New Romney, within its boundaries, have been represented continuously since the very first Parliament was summoned by Simon de Montfort in 1265. I am conscious—as were previous speakers, as the hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes) said—that I follow not just one distinguished predecessor, but a long line of people who have represented the people of Folkestone and Hythe in Parliaments over the years. That is certainly a great honour.

I should like to indulge the House with reference to two former Members whose careers might be particularly relevant to the political times that we find ourselves in today. Sir Edward Watkin, who was a Victorian railway magnate and responsible for one of the early attempts to build a channel tunnel at Folkestone, rebelled from his party in 1886 and sat as a Liberal Unionist in support of the Conservative Administration of the time. Sir Philip Sassoon, who created the beautiful Port Lympne estate in my constituency and was a cousin of Siegfried Sassoon, the war poet, was a elected as a Conservative Member, but in 1920 served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to David Lloyd George in a post-war coalition Government.

The constituency is large and varied. It stretches for some 20 miles along the coast, from the Battle of Britain memorial just to the east of Folkestone, to Dungeness and the Kent-Sussex border. Inland, it includes the unique landscape of Romney marsh and the beauty of the Elham valley and the north downs. The entrance and exit of the channel tunnel is based in my constituency. Folkestone itself, although no longer a seaport and ferry port, is undergoing a very exciting process of regeneration, as it becomes a new hub for creativity and the arts, and I believe that it has a very bright future.

The constituency also included for the first time in an election the Saxon Shore ward, taken in from Ashford borough, but true cartographers would probably say that the constituency’s boundaries are constantly changing, not owing to the pains of the Boundary Commission but because of the shifting shingle peninsula at Dungeness, which is constantly moving with the climate. The force of nature is seen by the location of lighthouses that were once offshore but are now hundreds of yards inland. It is a truly unique place in the English landscape. Charles Harper referred to it in his 1914 guide to the Kentish coast as

“one of the most remarkable places in England…a waste of shingle, with here and there a sparse patch of gorse, and stretching as far as the eye can reach.”

That landscape has not changed much but for the notable addition of the arrival of nuclear power in the 1960s. Nuclear power at Dungeness is an issue in which my hon. Friend the Member for Wealden (Charles Hendry), the Minister for energy, knows that I have taken a strong interest, and on which I have corresponded with him. I should like to address some remarks in this debate to nuclear power at Dungeness.

Dungeness A power station was given approval in 1959, and a B-generation power station was commissioned in the 1960s and opened in the 1980s. That power station is due to start being decommissioned in 2017. There had been a long-held assumption in my constituency that we would be benefit from a new generation nuclear power station, as part of the Government’s new build programme. Earlier in the debate today, the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband) cautioned us against sending out mixed messages on the future of nuclear power. Certainly, my constituents heard a very evident mixed message from the last Government: Dungeness was originally included on the Government’s list of possible sites for new build nuclear power stations and was then removed last autumn, and there has followed a consultation process in which my constituents have taken an active and lively interest.

There is a great deal of support for nuclear power in my constituency. I am sure that hon. Members who have nuclear sites in their constituencies know that there is a good deal of support for them, because they generate a huge number of jobs and important support for the local economy. In my constituency, the area of Dungeness and the Romney marshes remains a relatively deprived part not only of my constituency, but of Kent and the south-east of England. Nuclear power could play an important part in my community.

It appears from the consultation process launched by the last Government that one of the main reasons why Dungeness was taken off the Government’s list of potential sites was the objections of Natural England. It is one of the Government’s statutory consultees, and in some ways it is only doing its job, but its assessment, based on the habitats regulations, was that the loss of the vegetated shingle in the area around Dungeness power station could not be mitigated, as the landscape was unique. All of us in my constituency would agree that it is a unique landscape, but we are also mindful that the potential development land for the new power station is only 1 per cent. of the entire protected site of special scientific interest around Dungeness, Rye and Romney Marsh; we are talking about a relatively small area of development.

When, in 1959, the Minister of Power gave consent for the first power station to be built, he reached the conclusion that the mitigation necessary, and the damage to the area, was so small that it could not be said that the building of a power station compromised the integrity of the whole site. I know that my constituents will hope that the new Government can look again at the case for nuclear power in Dungeness and will draw a similar conclusion—that it may be possible to work to mitigate the impact of the building of a new power station without compromising the integrity of the entire site, which is greatly valued not only by my constituents but by people across the country. We see the great value that nuclear power has for our community, and we would like to encourage and support it.

In conclusion, my constituents believe that having a sustainable environment is foremost among everyone’s interests in the decades ahead, but we should also have a sustainable sense of opportunity for people, so that there is an opportunity for work, for a decent life, and for people to provide for their families and children, so that people can hope that their children will have a better standard of living than they have enjoyed. We might say that those are eternal dreams and ambitions, held by every generation, but they are only delivered and realised by the decisions that we take in this House every

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Conservative Damian Collins won through early this morning with a good majority which means that he succeeds Michael Howard as Folkestone and Hythes MP.

The count starting last night at just after 10am in the Leas Cliff Hall - and at around 2.30am this morning an annoucement was made to say that Damian Collins had won with a 10,122 majority - with nearest other result being for Lib Dems.

• Cons 26,109
• Lib Dem 15,987
• Labour 5,719

Conservative supporters cheered and applauded when the annoucement was made - and Damian Collins thanked the election staff for their hard work and his supporters and said he would get to work straight away by running his first surgery on Saturday.

“It’s a fantastic honour to be elected as the new Member of Parliament.

“I will give it all my energy and passion to be a new champion in Parliament for everyone in the constituency, whether they voted for me or not.

“Tonight is a night for celebration and rest after a hard campaign. But at the weekend the work starts again – I’ll be holding my first surgeries on Saturday and intend to get down to work as the new MP straight away. If anybody wants to join me in Brookland at 8.45 on Saturday morning they’d be more than welcome.

“I look forward to starting work on the change we need in our community and in our country at Westminster.”

Just over an hour later came the result that Charlie Elphick Conservatives had taken Dover, previously a Labour seat. This result was also cheered loudly by Folkestone & Hythe Conservative supporters as they had also supported Charlies election efforts.

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Shepway Council has approved applications for the expansion of Lydd Airport, under the banner of London Ashford Airport. At 1:40am, after a mammoth six and a half hours of meeting, including three adjournements, the council voted to approve the recommendation having combined aspects of reports produced by the council’s consultants and the Lydd Ashford Airport group’s consultants.

Conservative Cllr Malcom Dearden then proposed accepting the revised application, which also involved him listing almost all planning policies in existence and gaining a round of applause for doing so. A last ditch attempt by the Lib Dems to stop the vote on account of unfamiliarity with the policies was quashed, and the motion passed.

This overturns the recommendation of the council’s officers, which was for refusal.

Over 15 speakers, including representatives of environmental groups, ward councillors and current MP Michael Howard spoke for and against the applications.

The majority of speakers were from environmental groups and spoke against the applications. Mr Matthew Horton QC, speaking for Lydd Action Airport Group (LAAG) the most vocal group against the application, called the proposals ‘damaging, dangerous and dispiriting.’

Concerns over the nuclear power station were occasionally raised. Mr Paul Black of Greatstone School Governors raised concerns over the effect on pupils’ education, as the school is only 600m from the site.

Speakers in favour of the application repeatedly highlighted the need for expansion to generate jobs. In a gutsy speech Caroline Chambers, formerly of the Channel Chamber of Commerce but speaking as a resident, asked ‘since when did newts become more important than people?’

A series of local ward councillors spoke of the importance of jobs and claimed that the ‘silent majority’ were in favour of expansion. Michael Howard MP spoke to assure councillors that they could vote against the planning officers’ recommendation without fear of legal challenge.

Not until 10:15 did the applications become open for debate by members of the council.

Conservative councillors generally supported the applications citing the need for jobs. Early on in the debate Conservative Cllr Malcom Dearden gave a long list of statistics highlighting the dire economic performance of Shepway and the Marsh in particular, before proposing that the council accept the applications subject to conditions.

As previously expected the Liberal Democrat group were strongly against the development. Shepway Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Lynne Beaumont repeatedly stated that some of the evidence presented was misinformation, and that consultants used by Lydd Ashford Airport had been ‘paid to sell their story.’

Cllr Beaumont raised concerns that councillors should be in the chamber with pre-prepared notes and speeches in favour of the application. Council Officer Jeremy Chambers clarified that this was acceptable as pre-prepared briefings did not mean councillors could not change their mind during the debate.

Cllr Beaumont also questioned if any of the jobs in the plans were full time or not and whether the airport would lead to a net loss of jobs on the Marsh due to the negative effects of airport expansion.

Lib Dem Councillors repeatedly expressed concerns that to accept the applications would go against legal guidance. Lib Dem Tim Prater concentrated on this, saying the decision was not about weighing up pros and cons, but about a test on the issue of reasonable doubt, a point which appeared to have little impact on the debate.

Later in the debate the Council’s legal adviser cautioned that if councillors were not satisfied beyond reasonable scientific doubt that environmental regulations were not going to be broken they would have to reject the applications.

These points were repeatedly clarified to members, showing a great deal of concern in the chamber over the legal constraints and risk of appeals.

Conservative Cllr Gane asked how up to 500,000 passengers would get to the airport given the poor infrastructure in the area and the lack of a direct rail link.

Most questions followed similar themes with some colourful interjections. Most Conservative Councillors spoke of the need for jobs in the area and it was repeatedly claimed that the ‘silent majority’ were in fact in favour of the application.

Conservative Cllr Ewart-Jones noted often objectors make the largest noise, and many letters objecting to the development are ‘round-robin’ letters (wasn’t this mentioned somewhere before?) and added that councillors, like King Canute, ‘cannot stop the tide of progress.’

Conservative Cllr Carole Waters said she felt ‘very aggrieved’ and ‘worried’ that Natural England were designating large areas as ‘special interest’ and holding up development on the Marsh, although she expressed concern for Greatstone school.

Cllr Beaumont later said the council had voted for the expansion of protected zones, after consultation with Natural England.

Conservative Cllr Love, emphasised the need to have a more holistic view of what is good for the district as a whole. Conservative Russell Tillson said he needed assurances on the net number of jobs, the quality of jobs and that jobs would go to local people and expressed concerns that development scare tourists away from the Marsh.

Comparing the relationship between nature and airports to the relationship between John Terry and Wayne Bridge, Cllr Tillson appeared to be the most cautious Conservative speaker on the night, and  was in the minority that voted against the application.

Although the applications have been approved, the decision is likely to be looked at by the Government and could be the subject of lengthy appeals processes.

Posted by Tom Weatherley at: http://fromunderthestone.blogspot.com/2010/03/lydd-airport-expansion-cleared-for.html

If I were a betting man, my money for who will take the Folkestone and Hythe seat in the next general election would go on Damian Collins, the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. In fact, anyone else winning seems so far-fetched I haven’t even troubled myself with finding out the odds.

Mr Collins is standing for a seat which, since its inception in 1950, has always returned a Conservative candidate. Incumbent Michael Howard has held the seat for over 26 years, and despite the scandals that have rocked politics in the last year he would surely have a good chance at the seat were he to stand again. With Mr Howard standing down Mr Collins has a clear run, offering a fresh face untainted by parliamentary shenanigans of dubious moral fibre.

However, it isn’t all plain sailing. With suspicion of MPs in general reaching unprecedented levels the next election will see one of the largest turnovers of Members on record. Having previously stood in a different seat, questions have been raised over Mr Collins’ loyalty to the area, and it seems hard to imagine this and his history in PR and Communications will go unmentioned by all other candidates.

Taking nothing for granted Mr Collins has been extremely active on the local scene, regularly featuring in the local press at events and functions, and he keeps an active presence on the web, commenting on national and local matters with some clarity.

Very kindly taking time out of his busy schedule, Mr Collins agreed to meet for an interview and talked about national issues and is thoughts on the local area and his relationship to it.

Do you think the Conservatives will win the national election?

We have an excellent chance of winning, that’s what the opinion polls are telling us. I think there is a real mood for change. I think people have pretty much made their mind up about the current government, but that may change. Opinion polls predict a Conservative victory with a majority of 30 to 40 seats, but a week is a long time in politics

Do you feel you will win the Folkestone and Hythe seat?

I don’t take for granted previous results in this seat at all. People can change their minds. I feel we’ve had a very good response to campaign so far, if we fight a good campaign we’ve got a very good chance of getting a very good result.

Do you feel nationally there is a problem with politics, especially given the scandals of last year?

Yes I think there is. The expenses scandal has brought reputation of politics even lower. I think people question what politicians are for and what they achieve. That combined with general disaffection with the current government is a big challenge. I think there is a big opportunity to change politics and bring in a new generation of politicians who are more sensitive to the public’s disaffection with politics.

One thing that will probably happen at the next election, regardless of the result, is a huge turnover of MPs. If the Conservatives were to win the next election, even with a very small majority, this would combine with a very large number of MPs retiring and this could mean as many as half could be new MPs. This is a new chance for parliament and will be a big responsibility of new MPs to make sure they live up to high expectations of public.

Conservative ‘Time for change,’ is a very strong Conservative message. But the recent Conservative slogan was ‘We can’t go on like this’. Has politics lost its ability to inspire?

Politics at its best is inspirational but we have to recognise we’re still in the longest recession we’ve had in modern times. People are concerned about their jobs and prospects for the rest of the year. You have to reflect the fact that people are very concerned about the current climate. It’s all very well being optimistic but if you come up with something incredible, people just don’t think is something you can deliver. I think this election is about being honest with the public, there are difficult times but with the right policies we can see them through and with the right decisions we can be optimistic. We have to recognise difficult decisions to make.

People say the public are fed up with the politics of spin and spin culture. I think what that means is that the public have come tired of politicians making promises they can’t deliver on and are always looking to put rosy gloss on anything bad that happens. Sometimes people welcome a degree of honesty because then you know where you stand.

Do you think the idea of spin is a stumbling block for the Conservatives and yourself? David Cameron has strong links with the media and you yourself come from Saatchi and Saatchi [global advertising firm] and Lexington Communications [independent public relations company]. Will people believe you when you say politics isn’t about spin?

It’s not about spin – Communications is about expressing your ideas clearly, making yourself understood so people can decide whether they want what you are offering or not. George Orwell wrote about that in the 40s so it’s not a new idea. Spin is where you distort the truth and pretend something is other than what it is to make it more appealing. The two are very different.

Recently it appears Cameron backtracked on promises and proposals about marriage? Isn’t this an example of spin?

It was all massively overplayed. What David Cameron said was that we want to recognise marriage in the tax system. Actually I met a couple in St Mary’s bay when I was out canvassing, and they were in exactly the situation that David Cameron was talking about. Both working, doing their bit to make ends meet and standing on their own two feet but they would be financially better off if they split up. That’s the issue we’re trying to tackle. We shouldn’t create a financial incentive for people to separate rather than be together.

Undermining long term relationships has done so much to undermine not just family life but the social fabric of the country. We’ve looked at a number of ways to get rid of the disincentive for married couples to split up. We are also conscious we will have very limited finances to work with so it might be that initially we can’t make the package as attractive as we’d like to make it. There has been no back track at all in the principle of support for marriage.

The policy states ‘marriage and civil partnerships. What about the idea relationships don’t work like that? People are not always happily married, couples don’t always live together. Aren’t they being discriminated against?

No. It’s reversing a distortion that already exists which incentivises couples to split up. All the research suggests marriages and long term relationships breaking down has a massive effect and is a contributing factor to high levels of social breakdown we have seen in this country in the last 20 to 30 years. All we are doing is getting rid of this distortion. It is recognition of the value of marriage and long term relationships and trying to get rid of the distortion that works against this.

The groups you front and your career shows a concentration on cultural aspects, and recently you accompanied Shadow Secretary of State for Culture Jeremy Hunt on a visit to Folkestone. Do you feel cultural regeneration is being highlighted above other types of regeneration, for example getting other industries into the area?

Good question. Firstly on creative industries there has been a recognition that it’s a very big and important part of the economy. I think creative industries accounted for about 8% of our economy before the financial crisis so the proportion probably bigger now. That includes television, filmmaking, artists, galleries, web technicians, access to broadband and fast communications, all part of the creative industries.

We have a centre in Folkestone and that’s important when you look at how these work they tend to cluster in places. Often creative businesses are small businesses and they rely on others, they don’t do it all themselves. You might get someone who builds websites, a technical person, who uses the services of a designer. In Folkestone we want to nuture this, not for Folkestone but for the whole district to benefit from. I had a meeting with a group of people on the Marsh about creating a film festival down in Dungeness – Last of England – it affects everyone. Those skills are good for other types of businesses as well, because certainly with web and online technology and marketing and online advertising other businesses will use those services.

If I had a 4 point plan for getting our local economy going, it would focus on these things

1) We champion what we’re good at and creative talent is something we’re good at. It’s not only thing, but an important thing.

2) We look at ways we can help small businesses and entrepreneurs do what they’re good at, which is running their businesses. The government can scrap some taxes on employing people that make it hard for small businesses looking to expand. Small business hiring one to 3 people is a big step, and the more businesses doing this the better for everyone.

3) The third thing I’d like to see is councils have more opportunity to keep more of business rates but spend it on regeneration. That could be anything from improving way town centre looks, doing up shops, even reducing cost of parking. If councils are successful in generating more business activity and the income from business rates goes up, the councils should share in that success and keep some of the money. It’s something we’re looking at as a party nationally and something I’d champion in parliament.

4) The fourth thing is the Government could back guarantee loans to businesses. We have seen good, perfectly viable businesses go bust at record levels because they can’t get access to credit. The government could back these loans to help get the credit market moving.

Creative industries and culture are very important for Folkestone but we can also look at heritage as in making more of our heritage to attract tourism and food, particularly the Marsh and Hythe. We’ve got a very rich food producing area. The fish retailer in Dungeness M&M Richardson was a finalist for best food retailer of the year in the BBC Food Awards. We should celebrate [the food production of this area] too. I met with Andrew Goodsell of SAGA, we need to make sure we have the infrastructure to attract and keep big employers.

What drew you to Shepway? The previous seat you contested was Northampton North.

I wasn’t born in this part of Kent but I knew the area, I have friends here and it’s a fantastic place to live. It was enormously attractive to me and my family. I went through a rigorous selection process by the party. I was one probably a hundred who applied for the seat, they interviewed twenty and I was selected in a final where over 300 local association members came to chose the candidate they wanted.

Did you go for any other seats?

Yes I did but it was very early in the process, I was fortunate that I was selected very early. Folkestone and Hythe was one of the first seats offered so I was lucky to be snapped up pretty quick.

From your experience of living here what are the main challenges?

I think we have a fantastic story to tell as a local area. We need to bang a drum for Shepway. I’d like to be a real ambassador for the whole area. We have lots to offer. It’s a great place to live, to come and do business. Now the High speed rail link is open, communication channels to London and the continent are great, and I want people to be aware of what we’ve got to offer. I was asked to join the Kent Contemporary Working Group which will advise Visit Kent on its work in promoting tourism and businesses to come to Kent. Hopefully by being on that working group I can also make sure that Folkestone and Hythe are well represented.

You stood in Northampton North, you are a Conservative ‘A-list’ candidate and were part of the Bow Group . How would you persuade people that you’re not a career politician and that you are interested in Shepway?

I’ve been here nearly four years as a parliamentary candidate, working in that role, which is a big investment in time. I wanted to do that to have the chance to really get to know the area before the election came. Not just what happens on a political level but to see something of the community and get involved in the community as part of that run up. That four year period has been very valuable and I have enjoyed it immensely.

You area a director of Lexingtonn Communications. How many days a week do you spend in Shepway if the company is based in London?

I’m lucky and have a very understanding employer. No two weeks are the same which is rather like the life of a parliamentary candidate. I will be giving up work in the general election and equally after the election, if elected, I won’t go back to Lexington.

So if successful, you won’t have a directorship or paid employment outside of being an MP?

Not at Lexington no, and I have no other offers on the table so I have no intention of seeking out other paid work. Some MPs do do outside work and I think that’s fine - that’s a matter between them and their constituents. I’m not saying I’d never do that. I’m going into parliament where I won’t have any outside interests or paid work.

Presumably you could take work from outside agencies?

I’m saying I’m giving up my job to stand for being an MP. My focus will be being an MP. I suppose if I was asked to be a member of the government that would be taking on another job other than being an MP. You may have other responsibilities.

If you are not successful, will you stay in the area and fight the next election?

Yes. If the Conservatives want me to stay I would.

I note from a few of your tweets, you have moved into Elham? Is this a mortgage or rental?

Sadly it’s a mortgage – I couldn’t buy it outright!

Michael Howard has had twenty years in the seat. Some people feel parts of Shepway that were neglected when he came to the seat are still neglected, such as the east of Folkestone. Do you feel that’s an accurate reflection of Michael Howard’s time? Is there still a lot to be done in Folkestone?

Of course there is always a lot to be done. I think most people would say Folkestone is a much better place now than it was some years ago, in terms of the University Centre, the Quarter house, the Cube, there was only 2-3 business in the Creative Quarter that were open, Roger De Haan hadn’t bought the harbour, it was still under dispute. Not much happened at the harbour since the ferries closed.

I think Michael has been a great ambassador for Folkestone and has worked very hard to promote the area. Michael supported the Channel Tunnel being built, which not everyone did at the time. Most would say the Channel Tunnel has been a good thing for the local economy. I think we could make more of it but I think he’s done a great job.

Lots of your writing says the Channel Tunnel is underused, but has Shepway seen any benefits from the Channel Tunnel? The ferries have closed, jobs are still going in Dover, foot passengers get on at Ashford so really people just drive off the M20 and join a train.

Yes I think we have benefitted, and I think we could get more benefit from it. The High speed service is an indication of how we can start to benefit – it runs on the line put in place for the Channel Tunnel. I think there are businesses that are attracted to this part of Kent, and whether they are in Folkestone or Ashford they will employ people who live in Folkestone and Hythe.

I think the arrival of High Speed one and the Olympics could be great for Shepway. The Olympics has the potential to open up more cross channel travel, including Folkestone and Calais. That part of Northern France is looking at marketing themselves as a place where teams can stay. I had a meeting with the French Embassy to talk about this. They are expecting a large amount of people to come through Northern France. It’s an opportunity to showcase Shepway.

In your writing on Dungeness you support the new station ‘subject to environmental consideration’. The reason it hasn’t been considered is because of environmental considerations, so it won’t be built?

Not necessarily. Natural England, the statutory body, has given advice on the environmental impact on building it. We can consider whether they are right. What we might discover is that the objections they have raised could be mitigated. Their main concern is with the shingle banks. There is some question over if they have exaggerated the amount of land that has to be used. Are there measures which could be taken to protect and mitigate these objections?

I’m not saying we should ignore Natural England but there may be a way of overcoming their concerns. I do think the government can consider Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Importance. I think Dungeness could meet those criteria. It is a key site in the South East, it could be built quicker and connected to the grid faster – it doesn’t need new connections because they are already there. We have a need for clean low carbon energy and Dungeness could supply that.

Are you ready with an alternative to Marsh?

Let’s not forget that the power station will bring new jobs to the Marsh. There will still be some jobs at Dungeness B and A. Other than that, we need to promote the area. My experience in advertising says you have to have a story that makes you sound special and in Romney Marsh we have got that. We have a unique landscape which is very beautiful and has a lot of heritage and a lot of culture. There is a growing appetite for food tourism and a good underlying tourism business and we need to make more of that. Going back to creative economies, more people will be able to work from home and do different types of jobs.

The tourism centred approach is what the local Lib Dems are saying, and local Conservatives have castigated this as ‘cloud cuckoo land’ thinking.

Well, it’s part of the story. Dungeness is important because it provides a lot of jobs and money, a lot of money that is spent in the local community. You’d have to work very hard to come up with the amount of investment in the community you’d get in other ways. Certainly tourism is a way of doing that, but I don’t think we should limit ourselves to that.

Do you support the expansion of Lydd Airport?

I will wait to see what the planning officers come back with in their report, and I’ll read that with a great deal of interest. I have never ruled out the idea of limited expansion at Lydd airport, some people have ruled it out as a matter of principle. The airport has been there for a long time, it is part of the jobs infrastructure for the local area. It’s never going to be a big passenger airport, but allowed to grow in a limited way it could be good for the local economy.

There have been lots of objections and considerations. I have kept as close to it as possible, I have spoken to people on both sides off the debate, I listened to the test flight over three years ago. I know it is a contentious issue. I’d be prepared to support the expansion depending on what the report says.

Where do you stand on the proposed lorry park at Sellindge and Aldington?

We have a creeping industrialisation along the M20 and someone has looked at a map and decided to build a lorry park there. Firstly, there is already a lorry park at Ashford which was set up when the Channel Tunnel was built. I think we should look again at getting that redesignated. We should look at sites that already exist rather than buying new ones.

The issue is much bigger than having a lorry park at Sellindge at not - how do we pay for the infrastructure we need to offset what happens when Stack happens. Strikes, weather and accidents play a part. We shouldn’t just have lorry parks near Ashford. We should look at the whole network and think how we can get lorries off the road before they get down here. Can we complete the duelling of the A2, which Labour promised they would do? All of this costs money, and I don’t think it should be down to the local taxpayer. It is a national network and there should be a national plan to do this. Introducing a charge on foreign lorries should be looked at.

Wouldn’t the increase in haulage costs just be passed to consumers in the UK?

I don’t think so. We are looking at a scheme where if you fuelled in the UK you could offset this against the charge. Lorries can drive around the UK without filling up and not make any contribution to the UK. Road haulage is an open competitive network. It might get rid of some of the disparity working against British road hauliers in favour of their foreign competitors.

Immigration has been seen as a big issue in Shepway. Michael Howard made an issue of this in 2005. What is your view on the levels of immigration in Shepway?

I have been out to Calais to see the new centre to deal with migrants from Asia and Africa trying to get to the UK. There is still a problem, and the problem stems from the belief that the UK is a soft touch, it’s easier to get into the UK and once your here not much is done to assess if you have a valid claim to asylum, I think that works against the interests of the people of Britain, and it works against the interests of the people trying to get in here. Some are led here on false pretences.

How would you solve this problem?

We have said we would scrap the national ID scheme and would invest the money in a proper border police force. David Cameron has talked about doing is having an annual cap based on what jobs are needed in the economy. We area a small island and we don’t have limitless capacity. There has to be some sort of control.

If you scrap the ID scheme then the Border Force will have to stop every one and search every car and van every train and scrutinise every visa? This isn’t feasible, is it?

One of the issues is because our border forces are under resourced. It’s all very well having an ID scheme but without having the people to check the cards it’s a valueless exercise. We need to invest in this force to ensure we do have proper checks to stop people getting in.

Do you feel illegal immigrants are scapegoats and this pressure comes from the numbers of perfectly legitimate European Union citizens coming in. You can’t stop European Union citizens crossing the borders. The problem will persist and it is just rhetoric to say ‘we will tighten the borders’?

The immigration pressure isn’t just from within the EU, it is from people around the world trying to settle in the UK. One of the big issues is the quality of skills and training for local people to make sure they can get off welfare and back into work. This is a massively neglected issue. Through the boom years the level of underlying worklessness never really changed that much. From 97 to 2007 worklessness had gone up by 74%  yet the economy had grown every year. There is almost an underclass of people that have become totally welfare dependent and you almost have a generation of people that have been out of work. In some cases you might have two or three generations of the same family that are largely unemployed. The figures are from a written question tabled by Michael Howard.

We have to tackle that underlying issue of desperation felt by people who are welfare dependent trapped in this cycle. That is the real cauldron of extremism and hatred and resentment. We have to make sure people are given the opportunities to get the skills they need for work. Also there is an element of compulsion in the system so it is understood that if you are able to work and there is a job to do, you should be working.

Labour has poured lots of money into Surestart and Apprenticeships, more than the previous Conservative government. Why would people believe now that the Conservatives have changed and will continue this?

We have already said we would invest in creating more apprenticeships, more places for people at university from poor backgrounds, we will invest in improving SureStart and the access to it. One of the problems with SureStart is that it’s been less good at getting some of the people who use it most to use its services. We are very committed to grass roots intervention. Sometimes you can work with grassroots and the voluntary sector and they can do that better than the government on its own.

I think sometimes the government has taken a view that the government or the secretary of state knows best. Actually local charities and community groups have more credibility and understand better the services needed, and we should work with them.

There is much talk of ‘Compassionate Conservatives’ and even ‘Red Toryism’. Is there any difference between the two main parties?

The big difference is – do you trust people to give them the power to do this for themselves if they want to, or do you believe that only the government can guarantee the quality of outcome? That is the big difference.
Ultimately we trust people to make the big decisions in their lives. Sometimes some people might need help making those decisions, but people are good at making those decisions. That works from parents deciding what type of education is best for their child, to the headteacher having more power over their school and the discipline they set, not to be overridden by government agencies. We believe that helps improve standards.

With that the interview ends and Mr Collins excuses himself, slightly late for his next appointment. Clearly spoken, with a sharp mind and a relaxed air he stands every chance of spending this summer preparing for Westminster. If he delivers for Folkestone and Hythe he could go on to beat Mr Howards 26 years. That is for the voters to decide and is, for now, pure speculation bordering on fantasy.

I hope you have enjoyed these interviews. For the others, please click on the tag ‘Interview’ at the bottom of this article. Please feel free to leave comments. This should soon appear on the Romney Marsh Times, which has a much larger readership and these interviews may generate some interesting comments.

Many thanks for reading.

Interview courtesy of tom Weatherley - From Under The Stone (blog)

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A few years ago the Lib Dems seemed to be on the cusp of great things. Controlling Shepway District Council with 29 seats, in the run up to the 2005 national election Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy visited the Folkestone and Hythe constituency in an attempt to unseat Howard.

However, the last few years have been a torrid time for the local Liberal Democrat Party. but locally the group was already in turmoil. A council tax rise of 39%, blamed on the previous Conservative administration leaving the finances in disarray, was capped by the national Government in 2004. Hugely unpopular public toilet closures, intended to save the district money, kept the pressure on and group began to split. Leader Linda Cufley resigned in 2004, and after an interlude current leader Lynne Beaumont took the position in December 2005.

In the national election the Conservative vote held strong against Liberal Democrat Peter Carroll and problems continued. Former Parliamentary Prospective Candidate (PPC) Toby Philpott resigned in May 2007 amid claims of plots and backstabbing. His replacement, Neil Matthews stepped down in October 2009 citing personal reasons. Throughout this time councillors continued to trickle away from the group, and currently there are only six Liberal Democrats on Shepway District Council.

The local group must be hoping for some stability. As PPC, Ms Beaumont has so far played an extremely active role, tweeting, writing and campaigning on a variety of issues. She called for the local party to ‘run the campaign of our lives’ and is leading by example – recently she scored headlines over the issue of waste at Dungeness. The Liberal Democrat tourist-centred vision for the Marsh seems to be flying in the face of popular opinion, but it is a bold move and the Lib Dems and Ms Beaumont are promoting it heavily. Whether any of this pays off in the national vote remains to be seen, especially with Conservative PPC Damian Collins looking almost certain to get the seat.

Ms Beaumont kindly agreed to meet for an interview, and was extremely generous with her time, speaking passionately about local issues and not ducking questions about the group’s much discussed dynamics and changes.

Note - Due to the extreme length I have edited some of the responses. To the best of my ability I have not altered any of the sentiments in any of the answers.

Do you believe the Liberal Democrats could win?

The most important thing is that people must vote. In my view voting should be compulsory and every vote counts. The main problem with politics is the apathy. Nick Clegg has a spark. He absolutely believes in the policies he is standing for and he is not afraid to say precisely what he is standing for. We have said we will cut student fees, and we will. We will phase this in, starting with final year students, but we will do this.

Nick Clegg is largely anonymous – if I showed a picture on the street, would many people recognise him?

I have met all three leaders. Gordon Brown has a charisma and a warmth around him that fills the room. His problem is that this doesn’t come across on TV, he has an incompetent team around him. He shouldn’t get the blame for the recession – thank God Gordon Brown was in power and not David Cameron. David Cameron is not real. He appears airbrushed in posters and the public are sick of it.

Just to expand issue of appearance. The photo you have used to announce your selection is an extremely nice photo – was it professionally done? Why not use a photo from the selection night?

[Laughs] That was not a professionally done photo! My husband (Peter Carroll) took it. There are hundreds of images I could have chosen. I didn’t use one from the selection night as indoor photos come out terribly.

Do you feel you can win the Folkestone and Hythe seat?

For the first election in a long time there is no such thing as a safe seat. Everything I will do is to win this seat. I represent something different, so people will vote differently. Firstly I’m a woman, which might make a difference. I’m local. I chose to move here. Damian Collins is a wannabe MP who lost in Northampton North. He doesn’t care where he lives. I think MPs should give up outside work.

Do you have a job?

I have been a foster-carer and now I am Leader of the Shepway Liberal Democrats. If I had a job I would certainly give it up, no question. Those days are gone and the position requires absolute commitment.

Your initial announcements and declarations as PPC for Folkestone and Hythe make much of standing up for local people and local issues. What local issues will you campaign about?

Well, there are so many big local issues. My top one would be jobs. We need more work here. The high speed rail link is fantastic, but we need to make sure we make the most of that.

You were the only candidate for the PPC post. Was your selection a stitch up?

Absolutely not! The regional party came to me and asked me to parachute into the seat. I said ‘no way!’ I wanted to go through the selection process. The post was advertised nationally and anyone could apply. 3 selection packs for the were sent out, only one was returned. In the meeting, it is possible for people to vote to Re-Open Nominations. There were only two votes to re-open nominations.

Was the hall full? How many people were there?

Well, it was held in the worst snow ever, and Saltwood is not an easy place to get to. I am pleased to say that 30 members of the party made it to Saltwood to vote. Unfortunately we couldn’t wait for better weather as there is a minimum of three weeks notice and we cannot wait that long.

Folkestone and Hythe has always been Conservative. Why do you feel this is?

We live in a traditional Conservative area. I think generational loyalty here is strong. One constituent I spoke to said she had to vote Conservative as if she didn’t her mother would ‘turn in her grave’. Michael Howard has a large personal vote in this area, but it is time to do things differently. East Folkestone is still one of the most deprived areas in the country, even after 26 years.

In the 2005 campaign Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy visited Folkestone and Hythe in an attempt to unseat Michael Howard, yet his share of the vote increased. Why was this?

Folkestone and Hythe was a target Lib Dem seat, but Michael Howard was the Leader of the Opposition and the Conservative spend on this was around half a million pounds.

Folkestone and Hythe is no longer a target seat for the Liberal Democrats. Why is this?

You have to think of it from the national party’s point of view. The Liberal Democrats controlled the council and we were very strong. We had 29 councillors, but not anymore. Since 2003 the trust between the public and the Liberal Democrats has been destroyed by Linda Cuffley, who I was vocal in getting rid of.

One national Liberal Democrat pledge is for transparent local government and in 2009 the Lib Dems repeatedly complained about non-transparent Shepway District Council. Yet Liberal Democrats on District and Town councils repeatedly vote to exclude press and public. Is this transparent?

Do I support transparency in local government? Yes I do. Everything should be open for the world to see, unless it concerns an individual’s or company’s privacy or finances. It is not fair for that information to be in the public domain if dealing with a council. In that case it is necessary to exclude the press and the public.

Both Conservatives and Labour are for capping immigration. Where do you stand on this issue?

I would not cap immigration. Who decides who comes in and out? We have benefitted from immigration; the skills base immigrants give us is huge. We would not have the NHS without immigrants. No one ever talks about emigration – It’s a two way street. The press do not help matters. Several years ago the most common complaint from people on the Marsh was the number of immigrants. How many immigrants are living on the Marsh? Not many. It is just scaremongering.

Often people say that immigrants should stay in the first safe country they cross. How do migrants often pass through several countries before reaching England?

Think about it. If you were fleeing persecution, wouldn’t you go as far away as possible? People say it is for the benefits, but there are better benefits in other European countries. People always ask why it is young men who come here, but again just think about it – young men are often the first people targeted in wars. If they are killed, then rural villages cannot support themselves.

Moving onto this campaign and local issues, some reports have claimed a loss of members that will make it difficult to fight the campaign. Has member ship gone up or down?

There is plenty of support. People are phoning me up offering support. Last week I recruited 6 new deliverers.

Did any join the party? Has the membership gone up or down?

Three joined the party, and I’m sure next week will see more people join. Membership has suffered over the last few years. It is natural to have a fall in membership after an unsuccessful election campaign, and with the other problems people left the party.

You are against Lydd Airport. Wouldn’t an airport be a way of improving the infrastructure of the area for tourists?

The airport is not sustainable. The figures for jobs are all wrong. It will create around 120 low paid jobs. There is no money set aside for the improvement of infrastructure. The masterplan for the airport has not been published and has been hushed up.

The Lib Dems have made clear their vision for the future of the Marsh. Is there local support for this?

Yes there is. What is the alternative? Dungeness C will not happen but no one is putting forward an alternative. It is our responsibility to get jobs on the Marsh, not the national government’s. Where is plan B? I think people will come round to this idea.

The Marsh has been well known for bird watching for many years. Why isn’t there a tourist industry already?

Good question. The Conservatives slashed the funding set aside for advertising the Marsh. The Marsh is well known, but we need a decent plan. It’s about time someone had a vision for the Marsh.

You have recently announced you are concerned about the waste issues around Dungeness. When did you know of these issues?

I first knew two weeks ago. Councillor Richardson says this information was in documents, but we have been looking and can’t find it. This information is not public. When Meridian came to film, the Magnox South representative did not even come and meet them. They just gave a statement that the journalist could not understand.

The Liberal Democrats were heavily involved in the Leas Lift campaign, but the Leas Lift campaign website expressed dissatisfaction that the Lib Dems were not interested once it stopped generating headlines, and felt the Lib Dems were all spin. Is this a fair comment?

No it is not a fair comment. One of the problems is that all discussions are confidential and no one can say anything. I have spoken with the Radnor estate and they tell me the issue is moving. I can’t say too much due to confidentiality but I can say that I have continued to speak with the Radnor Estate. All I care about is the Leas Lift working. As for the issue of spin, Tim Prater, who runs our website, is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He is so careful to give credit where it’s due and fair reports.

Councillors have been crossing the floor since 2003. Doesn’t this show continued problems?

After the tax and toilets lots of people were furious. Then our PPC Toby Philpott resigned, and lots of people thought here we go again. Lots of people who crossed the floor were Toby Philpott supporters. After this, some have been led by the nose. Others have been lured with false promises. I know some councillors want to come back, but think about how it would look if they crossed the floor again. It isn’t going to happen soon but I don’t think the Conservative group will stay as it is.

Can you regain control of the council on 2011?

I think we can. The Conservatives have wasted a lot of money in this area. Car park charges are going up again – it is a matter of raising money by stealth. People will come to realise this.

With that the interview ends and Ms Beaumont, now late for her next appointment, leaves.

Since this interview she has pressed on with promoting the Lib Dem vision for the Marsh. Ms Beaumont is certainly marking out clear differences between herself and Mr Collins, and is best placed to give him a run for his money. It seems impossible that Ms Beaumont will gain the seat in the national election, but there is no such thing as a safe seat in politics.

A more telling election may come in 2011, with elections to the District Council. The council sways between Lib Dem and Conservative Control - If the Lib Dems can put the past behind them, the resurgence might be on.

Courtesey of Tom Weatherley  http://fromunderthestone.blogspot.com/

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